Oh Brother Where Arte Thou?
by Ayrlee
Summary: Chris is back to the future after being killed by Gideon. The future is not overthrown by Wyatt, and Chris is crushed to find out that his big brother is dead. Written years ago, one chap complete


_**Prologue**_

"Don't give up," Leo told Chris.

"You either," he managed to get out. Chris felt the beads of sweat on his brow and suddenly felt very tired. He closed his eyes and turned his head to one side. He heard Leo in the distance, "No, please, please, no, no, no."

Chris suddenly saw himself from above, Leo kneeling at the beside in tears.

"Dad!" he called out, "It's OK, I'm right here, I can help you find Wyatt now." His voice echoed through the room, but neither Leo, nor Paige standing at the door, could hear him. As Chris looked down, he watched himself fade away and absently thought how strange it seemed.

_**Chapter One**_

Chris suddenly found himself standing on a grassy hill. Trees lined the horizon and he could hear birds singing. In the distance was the slight roar of a main road as cars drove to and from their destinations. He looked at his hands, solid and pink.

"Yes! I'm back! I'm back to my own time!" He jumped up, punching the air above him with enthusiasm.

"Ow!" he muttered as he came down from his jump he stubbed his toe on something. He looked down at the stone that did the damage and he caught his breath.

"NO! NO! NO!" The stone, rectangular, and marble, matched so many like the ones surrounding it, only this one had significance.

Wyatt Haliwell

Our Magical Angel

Beloved Son, Brother, and Nephew

2002-2006

Chris dropped to his knees in front of the little stone. Tears flowed openly down his cheeks as he remembered his brother. No longer could he picture the long haired evil man that had destroyed all things good in his own time, but only a little boy with blond curls, a charming smile, and mischievous eyes. He could hear his brother's laughter, and almost smell the sweet smell of his baby shampoo.

"What have I done?" Chris thought to himself. He wanted to save the world from Wyatt, but not this way! "Oh God!"

"What are you doing here?" Chris felt somebody looming above him; the voice was crisp, curt, and surprised. Chris looked up to see Leo standing above him, a look of concern and terror across his face.

"Leo! I didn't mean to... I mean, did I? What happened?"

"Leo? Since when are we on a first name basis, Son?" Leo asked in a fatherly tone and then added, "I asked you what you are doing here."

"I...I... don't know. The last thing I remember is you, and me, I was fading, it was weird... Dad! What happened to Wyatt?"

Leo looked like Chris had punched him in the stomach. "You don't remember anything, Chris, anything at all?"

"I remember my future, I remember coming back to save Wyatt, I remember dying in the past, but I don't know anything of this time, Dad, what happened to Wyatt?" Chris was starting to get angry. Why wouldn't Leo answer him?

"How did you know to come here?" Leo asked.

"Tell me what happened to Wyatt!" Chris shouted.

Leo's eyes were big and round. "Chris, tell me, how did you know to come here? How do you even know who Wyatt is?"

"Forget this," Chris said. He would just orb to the manor and ask Paige, or Grandpa, what was going on. He looked up into the sky preparing to orb, but nothing happened. He tried again, nothing. Realization started to come across his mind, he swung his hand out to a statue that stood about 3 feet away, nothing, no shattering, no moving, nothing.

"Chris," Leo said, "Come on son, I'll drive you home. You don't have any powers. I'll call your mother and your aunts and we'll all explain it to you."

"Like Hell! You'll explain it to me now! Why don't I have powers? Mom is alive? Dad," Chris said feeling the sting of new tears in his eyes, "Did I kill Wyatt?"

Leo sighed. There was no talking to his son when he was like this. He gently laid the flowers of baby's breath and blue carnations next to Wyatt's headstone.

"I'll be back later to talk to you, Big Guy, but right now I have to deal with your brother."

"Deal with me?" Chris spurted, his anger threatening to explode.

"Chris, please calm down," Leo said slowly. "I refuse to argue with you over your brother's grave. I know you're confused, but have a little respect would you?"

Chris's anger subsided and he gave into Leo. As they walked down the hill towards the parking lot, Chris noticed that his father had aged. His shoulders had slight sag, he walked with a little limp that caused him difficulty walking down the hill, and his once blonde hair was now streaked with grey. A sideways glance showed Chris the tiny wrinkles that framed Leo's eyes, and more pronounced ones on his forehead.

'Odd,' Chris thought, 'since when do Whitelighters age?' The ride home was silent, save for the phone call Leo made on his mobile to the house.

"No answer." Leo stated, almost apologetically. Chris simply nodded and looked out the window at his home. Everything was as it was when he left, except in better condition. The buildings were clean and handsome. Children played in their yards with playmates or pets, mothers sat on their porches chatting with friends, it was all very peaceful, no obvious signs of evil anywhere. 'Because I killed my big brother,' he thought mournfully.

Chris and Leo pulled up to the manor. He looked at Chris, "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute to get my head on straight. Remember? In my future Mom was dead, I need to prepare myself."

"Okay."

Inside the manor, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige were in a panic.

"What the hell happened? He doesn't have any powers, and that certainly wasn't an orb!" Piper told Phoebe for the hundredth time.

"I know that, Piper, I don't know WHAT happened, but we need to find him before--"

"Hey, I hate to break this up, I love nothing more than listening to a broken record, but Leo is home from the cemetery and we need to tell him what happened." Piper and Phoebe directed their attention to their youngest sister. She stood there with a look of annoyance on her face. Always the calm, rational one, she was always the pillar of strength for them both.

At that moment Leo walked in. "Leo! Chris is gone! He was talking to us about the party tonight, how he wanted to propose to Bianca, and then suddenly he went transparent and now he's gone! Leo, he couldn't possibly be regaining his powers could he? What if---" Leo cut Piper off by simply raising his hand.

"He's not coming into his powers."

"But how can you be so sure?"

"Because he tried to use them at the cemetery."

"The cemetery, but how-?"

"I don't know how I ended up there, Mom." Chris's voice interjected. He stood at the doorway of the observatory looking frazzled. His eyes were red and swollen from crying and there was a blood stain on his shirt.

"Chris! What happened? Are you OK? What happened? Where did you go?"

"Gideon stabbed me. I ended up back at the cemetery afterwards. I don't know what happened."

Phoebe gasped. "Gideon? But Gideon is dead!"

"Oh my God! It's you." Paige said, stepping forward and stroking his cheek.

"Yeah, it's me." Chris said, looking defeated. "Now would someone please tell me what happened to my brother?"

"Chris, honey, sit down." Paige told him as she guided him to the couch. "This isn't the future you remember, and we're not quite sure how you got here either." She silenced Piper and Phoebe with a glance, "This is our first Chris, the one that came back to save Wyatt from becoming evil."

"Well, where the hell did our Chris go then?" Piper asked causing Chris to visibly flinch. "No, Sweetie, you ARE our Chris of course, but I meant..."

"No, it's okay, Mom, I'm just as confused as you are."

"Well," Leo said, "It seems that we can't get completely away from magic. We can't have two Chris's in the same time, so one from our plain is either in limbo, or ceased to exist when you appeared."

Everyone sat in a semi-circle staring at each other for what seemed an eternity. Finally Chris, with tears in his eyes, broke the silence.

"Did I kill my brother?" he asked weakly.

"Oh, Sweetie! No! Of course not! You didn't even know him!" Piper gushed. "I suppose we are going to have to explain this to you from the beginning, aren't we?"

Chris nodded and listened intently to the story of his life, one he had never known.

_**Chapter Two**_

After his birth, or death, in 2004, Leo and Piper got back together. Naturally, having two magical babies in the house was tough, but everyone was enjoying life. The demons were still a nuisance, but they had them under control. Paige took over Magic School after Gideon disappeared, and Phoebe gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Valerie who was now studying abroad. Everything was wonderful for a time, until that fateful day when Leo and Piper walked in on both their sons being murdered.

Bianca's mother, Nancy, had never forgiven the intrusion into her home that day. She met her daughter, grown up and beautiful, but felt that Bianca hated her for some reason. She knew it had something to do with those three witches that invaded her home. She would not allow them to ruin her and her daughter's relationship, so she spent the next two years plotting her revenge.

She knew that there was no way she could defeat the Charmed Ones, nobody could, but she could hurt them. She would take from them what they had tried to take from her, their children! She had read Chris's birth announcement in the newspaper, and recognizing Piper, she went to the manor. She apologized, claiming she was trying to raise her daughter away from her family traditions, she wanted a good life for her. She befriended the Haliwell family, and became a trusted and loved member of their extended family.

She waited patiently for her chance, and it finally came one summer evening. They were all having dinner when Leo got a call from the elders. He returned looking panicked.

"The elders think that Cole may be back." He told them breathlessly. "We have to go and check it out."

Piper looked helplessly at Nancy, "Go," Nancy told her, "I'll watch the children, be careful."

They all orbed out in a spectacular flash of white. She smiled to herself, and calmly put the dishes in the sink. She peeked in on Bianca, sleeping peacefully on the sofa, and made her way up to the nursery.

"Hello, Wyatt, my love how are you tonight?" She cooed at him. His eyes sparkled.

"Nonny! Read to me!" He demanded.

"OK, you go pick your book OK? I'm going to go get your brother, and then it's lights out."

She settled herself on Wyatt's twin sized bed, two year old Chris on one knee, and four year old Wyatt on the other. The boys snuggled lovingly into her as she read out loud the various adventures in Grimm's Fairy Tales.

'Sleep, little ones, sleep for tonight I shall exact my revenge.'

Nancy had just laid the boys down to bed and was standing in the hall when a shimmer of lights appeared before her.

"Is everything ready?" he asked.

"Zabdiel! You scared me witless. What are you doing here?" she asked the elderly man.

"You know as well as I do," he replied, "that our time is running short."

"Fine, fine." she replied with a shake of her hand. "Everything is fine, they'll never catch on, that it was me or that you were involved either."

Zabdiel looked at her with foreboding written across his face. "I do not agree with your reasons for doing this, but I must finish what Gideon started. I am and elder, and if you dare leak out that I had anything to do with this--"

"Don't worry!" she said briskly, "They'll never know! Now, give me the athame!"

With a flick of his wrist, the athame that Gideon had used to start his task appeared in his hand. He had coaxed it from Leo several months after the birth of Chris.

"This is for the greater good, Nancy. That child has too much power. By no means are you to hurt the younger one."

"Just give me the knife would you?"

"Expedite your task. They won't be gone much longer. They'll figure out before long that I sent them on a wild goose chase." He handed her the athame and shimmered away.

Meanwhile; Piper, Phoebe, Paige, and Leo roamed the back allies of the city. Thus far, they had managed to get three glimpses of Cole.

"He's got to be around here somewhere," Paige insisted.

"No, he's not here. If he were, I could sense him." Phoebe said thoughtfully.

"Still, the elders have reason to believe that he's back. We ourselves have spotted him, or at least we think we have spotted him..." Leo stated.

"THERE!" Paige shouted, pointing up a fire escape ladder. There stood Cole, smiling down at them with an energy ball in his hand.

"Oooh, Piper! Freeze him!" Paige shouted as they all ducked behind a dumpster.

Instinctively, Piper did just that. Cole and the energy ball froze in midair.

"OK, that's weird, he never froze before."

"Crystals," Paige commanded, and suddenly the crystal cage that they had once used to vanquish him was again his cage.

"Ok, Piper, unfreeze him, lets see what's my honey has been up to," Phoebe said sarcastically.

Cole stood frozen with terror inside the crystal cage. "Hey, I didn't sign on for this! I was supposed to win!" he shouted.

"Yeah well, being the source of all evil and what not, you knew to expect it. We vanquished you before, and we'll do it again." Phoebe told him.

"Vanquish me? Why? I'm not the source of all evil! I was just playing a game. The man told me that if I played this game with you I would be handsomely rewarded. He even promised I would win if I pretended to be Balthazar. Oh, don't hurt me!"

With that 'Cole' turned into a little man about four feet tall. He had wisps of black hair that stood up as if he had stuck his finger in a light socket.

"What are you?" Paige asked.

"A mere changeling, maam. The man, he said that if I tricked you into believing, oh... don't look at me like that! Sore losers, I want my reward."

"What's a changeling?" Paige asked.

"Well," he answered, "A cousin to a shape shifter. Only a little bit more power." He pulled up another energy ball and threw it towards the girls. It bounced back toward him. He ducked and screamed.

"A bit more cowardly too," Paige observed.

"A changeling? A game? Oh, here's your reward you little creep." Piper blew him up. His shrieks filled the air and then he was gone.

"Piper!" Leo ridiculed. "Why did you do that? We needed to find out who sent us on this wild goose chase!"

"Because," she told him, "I was having a lovely evening, and it was interrupted by that little freak. My night is ruined now. I had planned to bake cookies with Wyatt and Chris before bedtime and-- Oh God, Leo!"

"The kids!" Leo and Piper said in unison. They looked at each other for a mere moment, Leo grabbed her arm and they disappeared into the skies. Nancy's eyes gleamed. She took the athame into Wyatt's room and looked at him while he lay peacefully dreaming. The moonlight through the open window shone across his cheeks giving him an angelic glow.

_**Chapter Three**_

'He's such a beautiful baby' she thought to herself. 'I won't damage his face.'

She raised the athame high above her head and thrust it down into his stomach. Wyatt's eyes flew open, his force field immediately up. Suddenly the athame disappeared from her hands.

"Wyatt, what did you do with that knife?" she asked cynically.

Wyatt's force field was weakening and he held his tummy and cried. She realized that it couldn't have been Wyatt that took the knife from her, but Zabdiel must have realized that her intent went past Wyatt, to Chris, and then a quick visit to Hong Kong to visit Phoebes ex, Jason, and their daughter Valerie.

'Oh well,' she thought, 'So much for doing it easily.'

She left Wyatt on the bed, weakening and bleeding, to tend to Christopher. Quickly she reached into his crib and laid her hand across his forehead. The baby screamed as she drained his powers from his third eye. Once that was done, she would drain his life source also.

'Quickly,' she said to herself, 'quickly, before---'

"NANCY! STOP!" Piper shrieked.

Nancy had almost finished draining Chris's powers just as Piper and Leo orbed in. Paige and Phoebe were right behind them. She quickly swooped up the baby and looked at them with pure contempt.

"What are you going to do, Piper? Blow me up? Go ahead, blow me and your baby up!"

"Chris," Paige commanded but she was too late. Nancy had disappeared from the room.

"Bianca is still downstairs! She wouldn't leave without her!" Piper exclaimed as she ran out of the room.

"By the time you find me, both your children will be dead, Piper. You'll never have the chance to ruin my life!" she called up the stairs, and then she was gone.

Upstairs in Wyatt's room, Leo sat on the bed talking to his eldest son.

"It's alright, Big Guy. Daddy's here. Daddy will make it better."

Leo's hands glowed above Wyatt's tummy, but nothing was happening. Wyatt's face was streaked with tears, but he was calm now that his daddy was there to help. He knew his daddy always made the owies go away.

"Leo what is taking so long?" Paige asked?

"I don't know, Auntie Paige, but don't panic cause we'll be just fine, won't we Big Guy?" Leo responded, but his voice was shaky.

"Nonny, Daddy, Nonny." Wyatt told him.

"I know, Buddy. Nonny was bad. Da it, why won't he heal!"

"Leo," Paige whispered, "Bring him to the elders. You couldn't heal Chris either, it could be the same kind of magic."

"Chris?" Piper asked? "You got Chris from her?" Piper was panicked that her youngest son had just been kidnapped. Nancy's threat still rang through her head, 'Both your children will be dead, Piper'.

"WYATT!" She screamed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Heal him, Leo!" Leo looked at her sadly. "Leo! Heal him, he's not dead yet, why are you just sitting there? Leo, heal our son!"

"He can't," Paige said.

"What? What do you mean he can't?"

"Leo, Piper, you two have take Wyatt up to the elders to see if they can do anything. Paige, I need a lift to Hong Kong to get Valerie. But, Leo, once I have her, can you just pop down and get her until we do something about Nancy?" Phoebe asked.

At that moment, little Chris orbed in next to Wyatt on the bed.

"Wit." He simply stated.

"Chris!" Piper exclaimed grabbing him and hugging him tightly, "You orbed home to Mommy!" She experienced a momentary lapse of grief and looked at him, "How long have you been able to do that?"

"Wit." Chris replied pointing at his brother. "We've got to get him to the elders, Piper. He's fading fast."

_**Chapter Four**_

Leo and Piper arrived in the Great Hall of the elders. Zabdiel was the first to greet them.

"Leo, you know witches are not allowed up here," he accused.

"I am not a witch right now," Piper stated defensively, "I am a mother and my child needs help."

First Zabdiel looked at Chris, propped uncomfortably on Pipers hip. "Wit." Chris told him. Zabdiel's eyes grew wide when he looked at Wyatt.

"You can't heal him?" He asked Leo.

"No, we think its some sort of magic, similar to that Gideon used two years ago on the older Chris." Then he added, "I couldn't heal him then. We need your help."

"Give him to me," Zabdiel told him, and whisked him away. Piper went to follow but Leo restrained her. "We can't go with them. We just have to wait. You're not even supposed to be up here, if we make a scene they may orb you back down to the manor." Piper started to argue, but she knew he was right.

"Phoebe is calling me; I have to go get Valerie."

"Leo, wait. Bring my sisters back here."

"Piper, you know they can't--"

"Leo, if I can't be with Wyatt I need my sisters. I need my family, you, Chris, and my sisters. Please."

Leo nodded and orbed away. Moments later he returned with Phoebe, Paige and Valerie. One year old Valerie smiled brightly at Piper and held her arms out to her. Piper kissed the little girl on the forehead, and looked around for a place to sit. Leo wrapped his arms around her and led her to a bench nearby, the rest followed suit.

Another elder walked into the hall. He took one look at the family sitting there and fury encompassed him.

"Leo!" he said, "You are walking on thin ice. You were bestowed elder, and then shirked your duties to tend to this family of witches. Then you killed a fellow elder, I'm not sure how you got away with that, and then you gave up your status and returned to being a white lighter. You have gotten away with so much since you married this witch, but bringing them all here is ridiculous. I will not tolerate--"

"Listen you pompous old buffoon!" Piper shouted. "My son is in there dying. I am not leaving this place until I know that he is going to be alright!"

"Witches are not to be here," he replied coldly.

"Winston," Leo started, "Please just let us--"

Pipers face was flushed with fury. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, and her whole body was shaking with rage. She would not allow her husband to grovel to this decrepit old man with a power trip, nor would she allow that old man to make her leave Wyatt.

"Witches?" she interrupted. "I am not merely a witch! I am the eldest of the Charmed Ones. With my sisters," she pointed to Paige and Phoebe, "I have destroyed the source of all evil, twice. I have saved the world from the Titans, and my husband saved your sorry butt from them too. I didn't ask to be a witch, it was my destiny, but I choose to use my power for good. Don't you DARE look down your nose at me! You owe me a lot more that just letting me stay here and wait for my child to be healed!"

The man, shocked at her outburst, looked her over. He opened his mouth to say something, and then seemingly thought better of it.

"Very well then," he said before shuffling out of the room rapidly.

It seemed hours passed in the hall. Piper had run out of tears and laid her head limply on Leos shoulder. He stared off into space, absently stroking her shoulder and hair.

Paige sat on the floor with Chris, playing with him. She invented a new game, she would orb her watch over to him, and he would orb it back. It didn't take much effort, but it kept her mind busy, and helped Chris master his new skill.

Phoebe held Valerie close thanking her lucky stars that Nancy didn't get to her too. She was so glad that she gave into Jason and allowed him to take the baby for a few weeks. He was a good dad, and though she still loved him, he couldn't accept the fact that she was a witch, and so a relationship couldn't be forged between them.

"Leo, Piper," Zabdiel's voice cut through all of their thoughts. "I've done everything I can, other elders have come in and they can't do any more either. You may come see him now."

The Haliwell family followed Zabdiel to the room he had brought Wyatt. Giant wooden doors opened invitingly as they approached. He lay serenely on a bed of feathers, all the color drained from his cheeks.

"We managed to stop the bleeding, but the magic is still going full force." Zabdiel told Leo. "I don't know how much longer he has, I'm so sorry Leo."

Leo and Piper knelt at either side of him, restraining their tears as not to scare him. Paige scooped up baby Chris and stood next to Leo, and Phoebe was at Pipers side with Valerie.

Piper stroked Wyatt's hair off his forehead. "Hi, Baby. Don't worry, Mommy's here." she said, her voice cracking a little.

"Hi Mommy," Wyatt said. Then turning to Leo, "I have to go now Daddy. I will watch you though, promise." Leo choked back his tears, but couldn't say anything. Instead he kissed his son on the forehead. Wyatt's eyelids got heavy. He reached up and touched Pipers cheek, "Night-Night Mommy, Love you. Love you Daddy. Love you Cwis." Then he closed his eyes, and he was gone.

_**Chapter Five**_

Chris sat in the observatory looking at his family. The shock of everything that had happened 20 years ago had floored him. In a sense, he had killed Wyatt. If he hadn't come back from the past, then Bianca never would have come looking for him and Nancy never would have felt she needed to get revenge. He couldn't decide whether he liked this peaceful world without him, or the evil one with him.

"So, what happened to Nancy," he finally asked.

"We hunted her down and found her hiding out in a warehouse down by the docks. Vanquishing her was simple enough." Piper answered.

"And Bianca?"

"I found a nice home for her through the agency. We bound her powers and she's led a wonderful life. We never expected to see her again until you brought her home about a year ago... you were going to propose tonight." Paige told him.

"The agency?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, after we relinquished our powers I went back to social work."

"Oh." he said. "Relinquished your powers? Why would you do that?"

"That was my idea," Leo said. "After Wyatt died, I couldn't handle the thought of losing you again to magic. We all made a joint decision to give up magic and live a normal life, like your mother always wanted."

He patted Piper on the shoulder and she smiled up at him.

"We didn't want you to ever find out about that life," Piper told him. "So we put away all of Wyatt's things, and never mentioned him to you. We didn't want you to ask any questions, and knowing how you would be when you grew up, we knew that if you had any questions about his death, you would investigate until you knew all the answers."

"I can't believe this! You bound my powers? You had no right to do that! That should have been my decision. You definitely had no right to hide Wyatt from me!"

"Chris," Phoebe said, "Hindsight is 50/50, and if you never knew then it never would have hurt you, or Valerie. Demons sense magic, we were keeping you safe. Besides, Nancy stripped you of your powers, you only had the ability to orb."

"What about you?" he asked Paige. "You loved being a witch! Why would you agree to that?"

"I loved you and Val more, Chris. I watched you die more than 20 years ago, and then I watched the same with Wyatt. I didn't want to risk losing her, and I definitely couldn't lose you again."

"It is getting late. Bianca will be over in an hour, we should call her and cancel." Paige said.

"Cancel what?" Chris asked.

"Why, your birthday party of course." Phoebe told him.

'I'm in the freaking twilight zone' Chris thought to himself as he headed up the stairs to his room. He had to get this all sorted out, but maybe tomorrow, after some sleep.

_**Chapter Six**_

Gregory Michaels was backstage at P3. His band had finally gotten a break. Piper Haliwell had listened to the CD he sent her and booked him immediately. She sounded so sweet over the phone Wednesday afternoon, "Can you play Friday night? I apologize for such short notice but I just had a cancellation and I wouldn't be able to get you in until mid-November."

"Hey Greg, 2 minutes before we go on. Can you believe this? P3! This is our lucky break man, I can feel it!" Jay Lesworth, his drummer, and cousin, said to him. Gregory nodded. A lucky break indeed. P3 was the biggest, most prestigious club in town. All the scouts and producers hung out in the rafters waiting for new talent. Piper Haliwell didn't just book anybody, and the fact that she booked them so quickly must have been a good sign.

"And now," the MC announced over the loudspeakers, "This is our next group's first visit to P3. I heard their demo, and believe me, it won't be their last! Give it up for Sky Clad!"

Gregory, Jay, and the rest of the band rushed out onto the stage. Fog rolled in at their feet and the lasers danced across it giving it an eerie effect. Gregory gazed out into the sea of faces all cheering and waving their arms to the beat of the music already playing. Gregory took the mike in his hand and started in on his lyrics,

I lay in the darkness waiting

Ever wondering ever debating

Was my time here lost?

Or did I give my all... at any cost?

Locked inside a world of rage

Locked inside a tiny cage

Finally can I fly so free

Finally I am thinking of only me

I close my eyes and the Angel nears

Wraps me in his arms and I have no fear

His shirt was sticking to his chest, showing off every detail of his hardened muscular body. His long hair swayed violently to the beat of the hard rock music. He stepped back as the spotlight shone on Jay for his solo. As always, he admired the hand painted crest that graced the front of the drum. A lion set in a burgundy shield with two swords piercing either side. Suddenly, the lion seemed to move.

"What the hell?" he thought to himself. No time to worry about it, the end of the song is here now; one last chanting of the chorus and his set would be done. The spotlight shone back on him.

"Take me, don't betray me

I am not only a man you see

_**Chapter Seven**_

I am the heart, I am the sole, I am the whole to be sure

Take me, guide me, I travel only with you, Excalibur!" Chris awoke the next morning to the sun shining warmly on his face. Temporary nostalgia flooded over him while he lay snuggled down in the warm comforter and feather pillows. On his 14th birthday, Piper came in and surprised him with breakfast in bed. Blueberry waffles with maple syrup, fresh squeezed orange juice, and toast with strawberry jam. Leo had even made a rare appearance that morning to wish him a happy birthday, but then he was on his way again taking Piper with him. That was the last time he saw his mother. He went away to live with Grandpa after that.

Suddenly, a great sense of sadness overwhelmed him. He had to find out more about Wyatt. The sisters were reluctant to talk about it the night before, and Leo was just as stubborn about it. They told him the bare essentials, but that wouldn't be enough to satisfy him.

Chris pulled himself out of the comfort of his warm bed, slipped on a pair of jeans, and padded barefoot up to the attic. The door squeaked open easily. He stood in the doorway amazed. The altar was gone, the book was gone, all of the artifacts that they had collected over the years, it was all gone. Now it was filled with half empty boxes, old furniture, and stacks of old newspapers.

"I thought I might find you up here."

Chris jumped as he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard the voice in his ear. He spun around like a child caught to see his father.

"Leo- I mean, Dad- I just wanted to look around. Where is everything?"

"We told you last night, Chris, we relinquished all magic from our lives. There's nothing left, we got rid of it all."

"Got rid of it? What you had a yard sale? Hung a sign on the street that said 'Magical Items for sale, great prices?' "Chris responded sarcastically. "You can't just 'get rid' of all that stuff. What did you do with it?"

"You may as well show him, Leo." Piper had made her way up the stairs followed by Paige and Phoebe. They were all still in the dressing robes, hair pulled back in loose ponytails.

Chris couldn't help but to think how beautifully his mother had aged. Her long black hair didn't have a touch of grey in it, her eyes though lightly traced with crows feet were still as brilliant as ever, and she still had the body of a 27 year old.

"You know he'll find a way," Phoebe told Leo.

"Yeah, better he finds it with us than with someone else." Paige added.

Leo sighed. He knew better than to argue with three women and his son. He smiled to himself despite the circumstances. He knew that he was a very lucky man.

"Alright," he told them. "You guys go eat breakfast, by the time you're done, I'll have everything ready."

_**Chapter Eight**_

Zabdiel made his way down the long corridors toward the Great Hall. He had been summoned by the high council. He felt so tired in the past few years, and he didn't really want to deal with yet another controversy. As of late, they felt that a great evil was about to threaten life on earth yet again. They felt that he was the best to persuade the Charmed Ones to once again embrace their powers and destiny because they trusted and respected him and him alone.

'If they only knew' Zabdiel thought to himself. Regardless, he would just tell them once more that he would not go to the sisters. They made their decision clear and we have made due without them for two decades. Even if he had the courage to face the Haliwell family, he wouldn't be able to convince them otherwise anyway. Not that he wanted to, their retirement left his skeletons untouched in the darkest corner of his closet.

He reached the Great Hall. The council was already assembled waiting for him. As usual their faces were emotionless as they sat at the horseshoe styled table. In the center of the room stood a young woman about 23 years of age. She looked nervous and excited. She was clearly in awe of her surroundings as she looked about with wide eyes.

'Disgraceful,' he thought to himself. 'These new white lighters have no respect for the Hall.'

"Zabdiel, come in old friend." Winston, a fellow elder, motioned him to the center of the room.

Winston had been on the council for many millennia. He demanded a great deal of respect, but he had no use for witches. He felt white lighters should act as guardian angels for all human kind, not as magical body guards.

Rumor had it that Winston's entire family had been killed by a coven of witches a hundred years before Christ was born. The once physician turned bounty hunter supposedly searched for years trying to find his family's murderers, and when he finally happened upon them they begged for his mercy. They led him to a small room where a small child lay dying. Unable to ignore a child in need, he tried to help the child. He realized too that it was only a trap, and before the witches killed him he offered his forgiveness. His devotion, perseverance, humility and kindness were awarded with a seat on the high council of elders.

Zabdiel bowed before Winston.

"I was summoned, my lord. How may I be of service?"

"Zabdiel, you are tired, are you not?" Winston asked him kindly.

Zabdiel nodded, wondering what was going on. "No more than usual, lord."

Winston nodded. "Zabdiel, your suffering and fatigue is nearing an end. I want you to meet Celeste." he motioned toward the young woman standing in the room with them.

Zabdiel took her hand and kissed it softly. "The pleasure is all mine, my dear." Then he turned back to Winston. "The council is kind to think of my interests, but I do not require an assistant. Can we not allow this young lady to take on her first charge instead of tending to an old man?"

Winston and the other elders stirred uncomfortably.

"Celeste is not to be your assistant, Zabdiel." Winston told him flatly.

"Then, why--?" Zabdiel asked as the true realization started to come to light. This couldn't be happening. He wasn't ready yet. There were too many loose ends to take care of.

"It is time for you to move on, friend." Winston told Zabdiel. "You weaken and tire easily. You have served us well and now it is time for you to move onto Eternal Paradise."

More like Eternal Purgatory Zabdiel thought. Every inch of him wanted to beg for this not to happen. His mind searched rapidly for a reason for them not to do this. He had some things on earth that he had to take care of, then, and only then, could he move onto Eternity to set his soul at peace. Instead, he nodded and smiled kindly at the girl.

"Well, this is certainly unexpected. I must be more fatigued as of late than I thought. When should the transfer take place Lords? Surely the prodigy will need some tutoring first?" Yes, tutoring, he thought to himself, that would buy him sometime.

"The transfer will take place immediately," Winston told him. "That is why we have summoned you here."

"Now!" Zabdiel asked not bothering to hide his dismay and surprise.

"The decision has been made, Zabdiel. I am so sorry."

Zabdiel remembered uttering those words to Leo Wyatt once about his son. He got the feeling that it meant even less coming from Winston.

'How ironic,' he thought to himself, 'that my last thought should be with the child I stole a life from, as my own is taken from me.'

Zabdiel looked down at his chest. Already the transfer was taking place. White orbs surrounded his body, gently caressing his skin. He felt lighter and lighter with each passing second. One last glance at the high council, and he expired into his Eternal afterlife.

The white orbs surrounded Celeste. Her eyes grew wide with anticipation. She had been studying under Winston for several months so she knew what to expect. He told her that the transfer would be painless and that afterward her mind would be equipped with all of Zabdiel's knowledge, wisdom, and memories-- his and those of his predecessors before him. It was pretty amazing really.

The orbs surrounded her body. She outstretched her arms as if to embrace them. They tickled her skin. She smelled wildflowers, heard the laughter of children, and it felt as if she had just slipped her entire body into a warm bubble bath. Her eyes grew wide with panic and she screamed. A moment later Winston, and the other elders, were surrounding her limp, unconscious body that lie on the floor of the Great Hall.

_**Chapter Nine**_

Paige, Phoebe, and Chris sat at the kitchen table while Piper busied herself at the stove.

"Mom, are you sure you don't want any help?" he asked her.

"No, no. Just sit and relax. I've got it covered, besides, I'm done!" She laid out a pitcher of orange juice, a plate of blueberry waffles, sausage links, syrup, and raspberry jam.

"Well, she said, dig in." Chris's eyes widened and he smiled happily for the first time since he got here.

"Mmmm.. waffles!" he said appreciatively as he stabbed two with his fork.

They were halfway through their meal when the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be this early?" Phoebe asked.

"I'll get it!" Paige replied cheerily.

They heard voices coming from the foyer.

"Hi! What a surprise! Come in, come in. We have some of Pipers waffles left, I think, if Chris hasn't devoured them already," they heard Paige say to the unexpected guest as they neared the kitchen. Chris retracted his fork from the plate of waffles quickly and gave Phoebe a sheepish grin. She made an imaginary zipper across her lips and gave him a knowing wink.

"Sam!" Piper exclaimed as she saw Paige walk in with her birth father.

"How are you? Would you like some breakfast? I just put some coffee on if you'd like."

"That would be great." he replied.

He sat down at the table and accepted the mug of steaming hot coffee. He sipped it for a moment, avoiding the curious stares from the Haliwell clan.

"Where's Leo?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"He's in the attic, why?" Piper responded suspiciously. She hoped the elders hadn't sent him as some sort of messenger boy.

"Actually, I'm right here. What can I do you for, Sam?" Leo said as he walked in, wiping chalk off his hands onto his lounge pants.

"Well," Sam said, choosing his words carefully, "Actually, it's what I'm doing for you. Zabdiel has passed over, and I wanted to be the one to tell you, I know how much he meant to you guys."

Leos face fell and Piper went to wrap her arms around him. Phoebe looked way in the other direction, and Paige's eyes got wet with tears.

"Who's Zabdiel?" Chris asked.

"He was the one that tried to help Wyatt. He was there a great deal for us before and after the funeral. He's actually the one that helped us to relinquish our powers." Leo told him.

"Curious thing happened when the transfer occurred though," Sam added casually as he took a sip of his coffee. "Oh, that's hot." He knew that he had to word this just right.

"What?" Piper asked.

"Oh, the young woman that was chosen to receive the Gift had an episode. She passed out."

"Perhaps she wasn't the one." Leo said.

"Oh, she was the one. She received the Gift without any problems. It's just that, once the memories flooded into her mind there was one that was so devastating that she sort of lost it. The elders have her in seclusion now, she's demanding to meet with you, Leo."

"I knew it!" Pipers sadness dissolved into a fury. "How many times have we told them over the past 20 years that we are not interested in the magical community? No! I don't care what it is, we are not going back!"

"Piper! Calm down! I'm not here to try to convince you of anything, I know better! I was just relaying the message, the choice is yours! So, what's with all the chalk, Leo?" Sam thought it wise to quickly change the subject.

"Oh," Leo looked at his hands as if he had just remembered, "I took down the wall. Chris, you can go look now."

_**Chapter Ten**_

Sam chose not to join the Haliwells on their venture up to the attic. He said he had a charge to attend to, and respecting the sister's wishes, he walked outside before he orbed away.

Leo had hacked a makeshift door through the back wall of the attic. They had constructed a fake wall and housed all of the magical items behind it. Chris stood there staring in silence.

"We cast a Power of Three spell to bind all magic from entering or leaving the manor, but we hid all the things behind this wall just in case we popped up on the magical radar. We didn't want another source to get his hands on all of this, but we knew we couldn't just destroy it either." Piper told him as she absently laid her hand on his arm.

He patted her gently, "May I-- look around?" he asked. She nodded her head and stepped back.

Chris made his way through the narrow space. He picked up the Book of Shadows and flipped through it, not really looking. The stone that housed Excalibur was in the center of the room. Atop it were a small ornate box and a photo album. He sat on the stone and picked up the scrapbook.

"That's a reminder," Paige told him, "Of why we did this. Just in case we were ever tempted to go back."

Chris opened up to the first page. It showed old newspaper clippings of Prue's death. A few news articles and her obituary. The next page featured Andy, Prue's first boyfriend, and a dear friend of the sisters from childhood. There were snapshots of Chris and the family that had been taken over the year he stayed with them. A memorial for Daryl was featured on the next page, along with photos from his funeral.

"Daryl?" Chris asked.

"He died a few months after you did." Phoebe told him. "A demon got a hold of him, trying to draw us out. We went after him, but we didn't make it on time."

The last pages were dedicated to Wyatt. His memorial card was placed in the middle of several dried flowers. Pictures of him growing up were placed chronologically from his birth, until his flower covered coffin. Chris stared at the funeral photos. The coffin, black and shiny, was covered in blue carnations and babies breathe. It looked too small to house a human being.

There was a news article with a picture featuring Leo, seemingly holding Piper up as she stood near the graveside. Phoebe was captured standing in Jason's arms with a baby clutching to his neck. Paige stood next to Phoebe and Jason, holding baby Chris and standing with a man he had never seen before. Several people milled about in the background.

"Haliwell Baby Disappearance Strikes Grief in Whole City" the headline read.

'The disappearance of four year old Wyatt Haliwell, oldest son to local entrapanuer Piper Haliwell, struck the entire city by surprise. Over 2,000 people showed up to pay respects to the family...' the article itself started out. Chris put the scrapbook down.

"This is morbid," he stated as he picked up the unfamiliar box to focus on instead.

"It's a reminder." Leo told him, "Of all the loved ones we've lost due to magic."

"Oh," he said.

Suddenly the room began to shake. All eyes were on Chris, or rather behind Chris. He turned around and watched in amazement as Excalibur glowed brightly. He had to shield his eyes because it was as if the sun had come into the tiny space of the attic. They heard a screeching noise, the shaking subsided, and the room became dark once more.

They stood there gaping at the stone as their eyes re-adjusted to the light change. Where Excalibur once stood, imprisoned in stone, was an empty hole.

_**Chapter Eleven**_

"What the hell?" Chris asked.

"That's impossible, that sword was meant for Wyatt! Nobody could have pulled it from the stone!" Piper exclaimed.

"But Wyatt is dead!" Paige gasped.

"Yeah, we saw it with our own eyes," Phoebe added.

"Wait," Chris said jumping up, "The article said 'the disappearance of Wyatt Haliwell'. Why didn't it say 'the murder of Wyatt Haliwell'?"

"Because," Leo said. "We didn't have a body."

"What about the coffin? Who was in the coffin?"

"Nobody Chris." Piper answered, the pain clearly written across her face. "We filled it with his toys, and pictures."

"Then how did you know he was dead?" Chris asked perplexed.

Why, he wondered, would they have given up that easily if they didn't have a body to bury?

"Because, it was the same kind of magic that killed you. When you were stabbed you just faded away, and the same thing happened to Wyatt." Leo told him slowly.

"Yeah, but I'm not dead!" Piper looked at Chris.

"Chris, we watched him die. I know that's hard for you to accept, but its true." she told him.

"But Mom, I'm standing right here. I'm not dead!" he insisted.

"No, but Chris," Leo started, "you were still here as in infant. For some reason, you must have come back to this time. There was no duplicate of Wyatt."

"Maybe the Lady of the Lake found a new king for the sword and sent it to him," Paige suggested.

"Yeah, that must be it," Chris said sarcastically, "Except that the Lady is dead, remember?"

Paige looked as if Chris had just smacked her across the face.

"Well," she spat back, "What do you think our all knowing nephew?"

"What do I think?" he asked. "I think you all made a huge mistake, that's what I think!"

They all just stared at him knowing that he was on the verge of exploding.

"Excalibur is the most powerful weapon ever constructed. Whoever has it becomes one with the sword, and they are virtually indestructible. You know that first hand, Mom." he said accusingly.

"Now, someone has managed to work past the Lady's magic and steal the sword out from under its powerless keepers. Do you have any idea what the consequences will be if it gets into the wrong hands? Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

Chris was now pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what he was going to do. Why didn't they think this far into the future? He thought he had done his duty, he thought he had done a good job of warning them of their future mistakes. Instead, he started second guessing his trip to the past. His brother was dead due to it, his family was powerless, and now Excalibur had been stolen.

He suddenly stopped pacing and looked directly into Leo's eyes. "Dad, we have to get our powers back, all of us."

"No, Son, we can't risk it. There are too many factors involved, if we take our powers back then we'll lose you and Valerie. It's not worth it." Leo told him sadly.

"What we can't risk," Chris spat, "Is world domination by a force more evil than the Source!"

Piper and Phoebe gave each other a knowing look. Piper sat down on the stone that once held Excalibur so proudly and looked at her middle sister.

"Are you sure?" Phoebe asked Piper.

"It has to be their choice, Phoebe. Our children are grown, we can't make this decision for them, but we can't protect them from this potential threat without powers." She responded.

"But we don't even know if it's a threat," Leo protested.

"And we won't," Paige said, "Without our powers."

"Well, we're going to need Valerie." Phoebe said sadly. "Paige, see if you can get Sam to give you a lift to Paris. We'll need to discuss this with her before we make our final decision."

Paige nodded silently and walked out of the attic. Leo and Chris stood helplessly as Piper and Phoebe broke into tears.

_**Chapter Twelve**_

Bianca pushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. She stood in the darkroom that her adoptive parents built her when she finally received her BA in Criminal Investigation. The police department had immediately promoted her from freelance to fulltime Crime Scene Photographer.

Though she was genuinely pleased by this, it took up so much of her time. The city was full of violent crimes, and she was always on call. She wondered absently if this was why Chris had cancelled on her. He hadn't even called he had Paige do it for him saying he wasn't feeling well and that he would call her this afternoon.

She pulled an 8x10 out of the developing solution, an enlargement of a young mans chest cavity, and hung it up on the line to dry. She transferred the next print in and watched as the image appeared before her eyes.

'Almost like magic' she thought to herself.

She smiled as the picture began to show more detail. She had forgotten that she had snapped this picture. The picture showed her and Chris engaged in a kiss on the beach with the sunset in the background. They had been picnicking on the coast, the sunset was so beautiful that she set the timer on her 35mm and made him pose with her for the picture. He obeyed and posed for the picture, but stole a kiss just before the camera shot the picture.

She wondered why she was so smitten with this man. Four years her junior, she had loved him the very moment she saw him. It was his first year at San Francisco State University, and it was her last. They literally bumped into each other in the dining hall, spilling strawberry yogurt all over the front of her pale yellow blouse. He apologized profusely and insisted that he buy her a decent meal; dinner the following Friday. She still had the yogurt stained blouse tucked away in the back of her closet.

Bianca hung the portrait of her and Chris on the line and flipped on the light.

"Bianca?" she heard her mother say as she tapped lightly on the door, "Is it safe to come in?"

"Yeah, Mom, come on in, I just finished." Bianca answered through the door.

"Oh, Bianca!" her mother gasped. "I asked if it was safe to come in. I just don't know how you can look at those things." her mother told her as she glanced away from the photo of the young mans chest cavity.

"I don't know, Mom, it just doesn't bother me. It intrigues me actually." she responded.

"Intrigues you?" her mother asked a look of concern on her face.

"Well, it's not like I want to literally rip some ones heart out with my bare hands or anything." she replied with a laugh.

"Well," her mother said dismissively, "Chris called. He said he has some errands to run and that he'll call you this afternoon." After a pause she added, "He also cancelled for tonight."

Bianca froze and looked at her mother, not trying to disguise the dismay on her face.

"Are you two fighting, dear?"

"Not that I know of," Bianca replied. "I don't know why he would cancel two nights in a row though. I think I'll just go over there and have a little talk with the man."

"Alright, Honey, but don't jump to conclusions. He loves you, he probably just has some things going on. Besides, you can't go over there right now because Detective Lacey called and he said he wants those enlargements right away."

Bianca groaned. "Oh alright, but afterwards I'm going to the house and having a talk with him."

Her mother smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Well, the smell in here is making me ill, but not nearly as bad as those photos. You should get cleaned up and head to the station. That cop didn't sound like he was in a very good mood."

"He never is," Bianca replied dryly as her mother walked out of the darkroom.

She started plucking the dry photos off the line and placed them in a manila envelope. She stared at the enlargements. The young man was only about 24 and had been violently murdered. His friends and family said he was into the occult, and they blamed the group of people he was running around with for the killing. The odd thing was, it looked as if his chest had been cut open by a laser forming a perfect seven pointed star above his heart. Yes, this job certainly intrigued her. Hey guys, I'm back! Now for the next leg of the journey!

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

Valerie sat in the living room of the manor. Her Aunt Paige and Sam had hunted her down in Europe and told her that she had to come home immediately. Of course, she thought she would just go hop on a plane, but two minutes later she arrived at the doorstep of her childhood home.

Her mom had greeted her with open arms, but she could tell that she had been crying and worry was written across her face. Chris was there, lurking in the shadows, staring at her as if she had three eyes, and Leo sat uncomfortably next to him.

"So," Valerie said, "You're all witches? Like, real witches? You cast spells and fly on broomsticks and stuff?"

"Well, they don't fly on broomsticks, but Phoebe can levitate." Chris said shortly.

"No need to get snitty, Chris," Phoebe told him defensively, "We told you she had no idea until just a few minutes ago what we are."

Then, turning to Valerie, "You are a witch also dear. That's why we brought you here. You see, when you were a baby, your Aunt Piper had another son. His name was Wyatt, and he was murdered by another witch that we thought was our friend. We decided to bind yours, and Chris's, powers and raise you both outside of magic so that we wouldn't risk you two also. We," she waved to the adults in the room, "also gave up our powers. Now, something has happened and we need them back, but we need your okay to release them."

"What happened?" Valerie asked, her eyes wide with amazement. Usually, she would have thought that her family had gone off the deep end, but that whole orbing thing they had explained to her had made a believer out of her.

"Remember the story of King Arthur of Camelot?" Paige asked her.

"Uh, yeah."

"Well, King Arthur had a sword, Excalibur. When Wyatt was a baby the Lady of the Lake gave us the sword and intended it to be for him. Only, Wyatt died. The sword is missing and we need to find out who has it, because if it has fallen into the wrong hands, the world may be at risk."

"Excalibur is real?" Valerie asked, a little more skeptical than she had been a moment before.

Piper laughed. "That's what I thought too, Val. But the thing is, it is real and it's very powerful. I, myself, had it for a while and the magic that is in it is very powerful. It takes control of people."

"Oh," Valerie said. "Well, if the world is at stake, and you need my okay to get powers back, well then let's go for it. I'll do whatever I can to help."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Chris exclaimed jumping up. "Let's go!"

"Wait," Leo said. "You two need to know the risks involved with taking your powers back."

Chris sighed and sat back down.

"You see," Leo started, "The woman that killed Wyatt was called a Phoenix. They are a tradition of witches that are raised as assassins. When Nancy killed Wyatt, and attempted to kill Chris and you, she was seeking revenge for something that hadn't happened yet. After we vanquished her, the rest of her kind swore that they would finish what she started. If we restore your powers, you will become hunted by these assassins, and they will try to kill you."

"So what?" Chris asked. "We are the children of the Charmed Ones. If they come at us then we'll just vanquish them."

"Yeah," Valerie said, "What's the big deal? A psycho comes, tries to kill us, we say alla ca dabra and they're gone."

Chris raised an eyebrow at her. "It's not as simple as that." He told her.

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned her attention back to her mother. "Mom, you raised me to take care of myself. I'll be fine. I want my-our powers to be restored."

"Valerie, Chris," Phoebe said sadly, "The Phoenixes will hunt you down, everyday of your lives. You can never get away from them. You need to understand that. They are a huge group of witches; they extend from the United States to Iceland and everywhere in between. They'll come after you until either the last one is gone, or until you're dead."

"That's a risk we're willing to take, right Valerie?" Chris asked.

"Right." Valerie answered. She could sense how important this was to everyone. She could sense how scared her mother was for her, but she knew that there was something more there, something that she couldn't touch, something big.

"Alright," Piper said standing. "Let's go to the attic."

Everyone followed Piper single file up to the attic, through the little crawlspace of a door that Leo had made earlier, and they crammed into the tight little area where all the magical things were stored.

"Wow," Valerie said under her breath.

"Oh! It's too crowded in here," Piper told them. "Go back down to the living room and I'll bring everything we need down."

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

Piper stood alone in the attic. She sat down on Excalibur's stone and picked up the scrapbook that Chris had flipped through earlier in the day. She stared at Wyatt's photo for a moment, wiped away a tear, and grabbed the book of shadows and the little box that sat on the stone.

Downstairs in the living room Paige and Phoebe set up a circle of candles, using the coffee table as a makeshift altar.

"We have got to have a brown candle somewhere," Paige said.

"No, I don't think we do. Oh, wait, yeah! I have a cinnamon scented one in my room." Phoebe told her.

"It'll have to do," Paige replied. "At least it will smell good in here."

Phoebe laughed and ran up the stairs to fetch the candle, nearly bumping into Piper on her way down.

"I don't want to do this," Piper told Phoebe. "We've lost too much as it is, can't we just let whatever will be, just, be?"

"You know we can't Piper. Besides, Chris knows what he's doing when it comes to magic. And Val, well, she'll be alright too. We'll deal with the Phoenixes later, right now we need to make sure Excalibur is safe."

"But, Phoebe, I'm scared." Piper said, with tears threatening to spill once more.

Phoebe grabbed her sister and hugged her close. "I am too. But you know we have to do this. Come on, Big Sister, be strong. Remember, Momma wears combat boots and she's out to kick a little butt!"

Piper laughed. "Alright, I'll put on my boots and kick a little butt. Where are you going anyway?"

"I'll be right down, just gotta grab a candle." Phoebe hollered, already on her way up to the stairs."

She was back in a flash and laid the brown jar candle on the north point of the circle.

"You've got to be kidding me," Chris said. "You are the three most powerful witches in the world and you're setting up a circle like a common Gardenarian. Please tell me you aren't going to do this thing skyclad; I really can't handle seeing that."

"Chris!" Piper said blushing. "Of course we're not going skyclad!"

"But I am going to go put my traditional black robe and cloak on," Sam said seriously. Chris gave him a horrified look and Paige burst into laughter.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud!" Paige told him. "We don't have any active, or inactive, powers remember? We have to do it this way to invoke the magic. But don't worry, we're all dressed appropriately for the occasion."

Chris breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, alright then."

"Well, we're all set up." Paige said. "Everyone take your places within the circle of candles."

Sam gave Paige a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to go give the elders a heads up." he told her. He walked out the door and orbed up to the heavens, leaving the Haliwell clan to work their magic.

Piper entered first, walking clockwise around the perimeter, and stood by the North quarter of the circle, then Phoebe taking up the South, then Paige taking the East, and Leo taking the West.

Chris took an uncertain Valeria by the arm. "We don't really have a designated place. Stand next to your mom." He told her reassuringly. Valeria nodded and stood next to Phoebe, and Chris took his place aside his father. Leo smiled at his son, and patted his shoulder.

"Everybody ready?" Piper asked. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the North, Keepers of earth. We invite you into our circle in our time of need. Watch over us and keep us grounded. Hail and welcome." Piper lit the brown candle.

"Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of East, keepers of air. We invite you into our circle in our time of need. Help us to breathe easy in our final decision. Hail and welcome." Paige lit the yellow candle.

"Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the South, keepers of fire. We invite you into our circle. We ask you to spark the flame of our desire. Hail and welcome." Phoebe lit the red candle.

"Hail to the guardians of the watchtowers of the West, keepers of water. We invite you into our circle. Wash away our fears. Hail and welcome." Leo lit the blue candle.

"The circle is cast," Phoebe said, "We have created a sacred place, with no beginning and no ending, as above is as below, blessed be."

"Blessed be," everyone responded.

Paige stepped forward: Power of the witches rise.

Course unseen across the skies.

Phoebe came up next: Come to us who call you here.

Come to us and settle here.

Piper stepped forward and picked up the little box she had brought down from the attic. She opened the lid, within it laid 6 small, black, teardrop shaped stones.

"Apache tears?" Chris asked. Piper nodded and walked clockwise around the circle allowing each everyone to take a stone from the box. She laid the box back down on the coffee table next to the book of shadows.

"These stones hold our power within them. Once we restore our power, the magical cloaking that we placed over the manor will be cancelled. Place them over your hearts." Piper told them. Everyone agreed. The room filled with light, the candle flames rose higher, and the room began to spin.

Everyone's eyes were closed, but if someone were to look, they would see that in each hand that clutched a stone over their hearts, there was a bright white glow that radiated between their fingertips.

Wind started to blow throughout the house, and Valerie's hair whipped across her face. She began to think that this wasn't such a good idea, but her hand seemed to be glued to her chest. Suddenly she was calm, flying through the skies looking over the golden gate bridge. To her side she saw her mother smiling serenely at her and holding her hand. She knew not to worry anymore and relaxed allowing the magic to fill her body. The next thing she knew, the wind had stopped, the candle fires were at a normal height, and her hand was able to relax and drop to her side. Everyone in the circle stood staring at one another.

"Whoa, what a ride! Can we go again, Mommy, please?" Chris said grinning, mocking a small child at an amusement park.

Piper laughed. "Behave yourself, Chris. Grab the book, you need to say that spell we wrote for you when Bianca stripped your powers. Remember, you were stripped again by Nancy as an infant."

"Oh yeah," he said, and then grinning he said, "Then can we go again?"

Leo laughed and pushed him towards the book. "Do as your mother says or there will be no dessert after dinner tonight, young man!"

'Good,' Paige thought. 'Everyone is in bright spirits; the blessings of the spirit world are with us.'

Chris picked up the book and flipped through the pages until he found the spell.

"Power of witches rise,

Come to me across the skies.

Return my magic, give me back.

All that was taken from the attack"

A light shone down from the skies and surrounded Chris. He looked up at it, his arms went limp, and his fingers splayed outward pointing toward the ground. The light enveloped him, lifting him off the ground and suspending him there.

"Oh God! Chris" Valerie said, suddenly very afraid.

"Shh!" Phoebe told her, "It's fine, it's supposed to happen."

The light started to fade and Chris was laid gently back down on the ground, collapsing onto the floor. He opened his eyes and looked around as if he had just come out of a trance.

"Intense." he said, and stood back up.

"Alrighty then," Leo said, "Let's test these babies out! Ladies first, Piper?"

Piper looked around, she focused on a lamp on the end table across the room. She shot her hands up and the lamp shattered into a thousand pieces. Piper looked at her hands and grinned, "Well, nice to know I've still got it!"

"Yeah, me too," Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, get down here!" Piper told her sister. Phoebe had started to levitate and was now sitting indian style above the circle looking down at everyone grinning.

"Mom!" Valerie shouted laughing. "Boy, I sure would have been more popular if you could've done that when I was a kid!"

"Remote," Paige commanded. The TV remote landed in her hand. "Ha! No more fighting with the men over the remote!"

"Oh yeah?" Chris said grinning, and then the remote was in his hand.

"No fair!" Paige cried, pretending to pout.

"How about you, Uncle Leo?" Valerie asked.

"Oh, mine are back. I don't need to test it, I can feel it." he said as he laid his hand on the small of Pipers back. They looked into each others eyes and he kissed her on the forehead. "No worries Honey."

Valerie looked around lost. "Uh, what powers did I have?" she asked.

"Oh," Phoebe said, her mood lightened a little as she came back down to the ground. "You hadn't come into your powers yet when we bound them... you'll just have to figure them out as you go along. What's important is, even if you don't have any active powers, you're still of the Haliwell line and you're still a witch. Here," Phoebe said as she grabbed the book, "Say this spell, right here."

Valerie looked at the page and recited what was written down,

"Blood to blood

I summon thee.

Blood to blood,

Return to me."

Grams appeared in the room, smiling sweetly.

"Girls! Chris! Leo! Oh, Valerie! You are so beautiful in person, just like your mother!"

Valerie stared at the woman that appeared in front of her, hugging her closely. This was her great grandmother, this much she knew, but she also knew that she had died more than 25 years ago.

"Nice to meet you," Valerie said, unsure of herself.

"Grams," Phoebe said, "We were just proving to Valerie that she was indeed a witch. Do you have any idea what her active powers might be?"

"Well," Grams said, "Traditionally the Haliwell line produces the power to move things with their minds, to freeze time, and the power of premonition. Of course, we also only had girls until Chris came along, so it's really hard to tell."

"Until Wyatt came along," Chris told her.

"Oh, you know?" Grams asked.

"Long story," Piper told her.

"Oh, okay, well I really must go, I was right in the middle of something when you summoned me. Valerie honey, don't you worry, you'll come into your powers very quickly ok?"

Valerie nodded as Grams disappeared. Leo looked up to the sky and then helplessly at Piper.

"You've got to be kidding me! You've had your powers back for thirty seconds!" Piper exclaimed.

"They say it's important," Leo responded, referring the elders.

"Sam did say that Zabdiel's replacement was demanding to see you," Paige said.

"Alright, I'll see what it's all about." Leo said, once more kissing Piper on the forehead before orbing out.

"What was that!" Piper, Phoebe, Paige, Valerie and Chris jumped. They all turned to see Bianca standing in the entrance of the living room, her eyes wide with shock.

"Bianca!" Chris said. "What are you doing here?"

"Leaving," she replied, "I don't want anything to do with this voodoo stuff!"

Bianca ran out the door, and Chris chased after her.

Piper and Paige looked at each other. "You know, we're going to have to tell her now." Paige told her. "The Phoenixes are going to find her now that we've undone everything."

"Yes, I know." Piper said. "But Chris will take care of it."

**_Chapter Fifteen_**

At the moment Zabdiel's transfer of power took place, Gregory and Jay were sitting in their living room still psyched about the great success their show had been at P3. The manager came to them and apologized for Ms. Haliwell not being there, she had some family issues to deal with, but he assured them that he would definitely recommend them for a return visit.

"I just wish your dad would lay off, man." Jay told Gregory. "We have a shot at doing something really great, and all he's concerned about is this power struggle he has going on with those witches."

Gregory and Jay were the next generation of the Order. Born and bred specifically for world dominance. Gregory's father had been tutoring them for years on their destiny and found the band a silly nuisance. Jay finally convinced him that if they became famous with their rock band, they would already have a following, and dominance would be easier for them. He accepted this, but still disliked the band. Gregory on the other hand, felt that the band was secondary to his magic and only continued on with it due to Jays reasoning.

He had come into his powers long before his memory allowed. He knew that one day he would be the one to lead the world, but he humored Jay, knowing that his cousin would inadvertently help him to rule the world, both above and below.

"Those witches are a serous threat to us, Jay." Gregory responded. "They could stand in the way of everything."

Instead of arguing this with his cousin, Jay started pounding the coffee table that separated the couch in which he was sitting, from the recliner where Gregory was sitting. Gregory grinned and together they started singing the lyrics of the song that had been such a hit the night before. Jay started beating faster and their heads starting swaying to the song. They sang together,

"Take me, don't betray me

I am not only a man you see

I am the heart, I am the sole, I am the whole to be sure

Take me, guide me, I travel only with you, Excalibur!"

Jay's eyes grew wide with amazement as the coffee table started to vibrate. He stopped beating on it and sat back and watched as a bright light filled the room and centered on the coffee table. There, in front of them, appeared Excalibur.

Jay reached out to touch it but his hand was quickly caught by Gregory.

"Don't touch it, Jay. I've been waiting my whole life for this moment, Excalibur has finally returned to me." Gregory reached out and picked the sword up by the hilt. He gently stroked the fine carvings and precious gems that were embedded into the mystical weapon. He felt the power that the sword possessed coursing through his body.

"Jay, you know what this means, don't you?"

Jay leaned back lazily. "It means now is the time to take over the world. Your destiny has been fulfilled and now is the time to kill our only obstacle, the Charmed Ones."

Gregory smiled, "That's absolutely right, dear cousin. We need to contact my father and set up a game plan."

Jay sighed and watched his cousin shimmer out. He really had no interest in power struggles, world domination, or witches. He never really cared enough to really develop his own powers, and so, he went into the kitchen, drank a glass of milk, and went back to bed.

Gregory arrived in his father's chambers shortly after 10am. His father sat in a large chair that overlooked the San Francisco Bay, his back turned to his son. Gregory bowed his head politely cursing himself for not pulling his hair back before he entered his father's realm.

"I bring good news, Father." he told him still looking at the ground.

"You've put a stop to that music foolishness?" his father asked him, not bothering to turn around.

"Even better, Sir, I have brought Excalibur."

His father spun around in his chair, eyes wide with excitement. "Show me!"

Gregory pulled the sword out from underneath his jacket. His father was pleased for once, for that he was happy. His first step towards dominance was obtaining this mans approval.

"How?" he asked Gregory.

"We summoned it by accident. We were singing the lyrics of our song, "Take me, don't betray me I am not only a man you see I am the heart, I am the sole, I am the whole to be sure Take me, guide me, I travel only with you, Excalibur!" and it just appeared." he told him trying to hide his excitement.

"I see. And Jay? He didn't try to take it from you?"

Gregory snickered. "That fool? He started to reach for it but I stopped him. Excalibur is mine and no one else's. It's my birthright, I have waited my entire life to possess this sword, that useless excuse will never lay hands on it."

"Very well then, now to plan the end of the witches."

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

At about the same time Gregory was leaving his father, Leo arrived in the Great Hall of elders. He looked around at the towering pillars and soaked in the beauty. He hadn't realized how serene and peaceful it had all been in the past.

"Leo," Winston greeted him. "Good to have you back. They're waiting for you in there." Winston pointed to a small room towards the back of the hall.

Leo walked in to see Sam sitting with a young woman. Her eyes were swollen with crying, but she held a look of will and determination on her face. She looked up to see Leo walk in and stood to greet him.

"You are Leo Wyatt, father of Wyatt and Chris Haliwell? The sons of the Charmed Ones?" she asked him.

"Yes I am, my Lady." Leo replied bowing his head slightly.

"Don't bow to me," she told him. "I haven't been an elder for any more than a few hours, and if it weren't for what I am about to tell you, you would still be one today... I'm sure of it. Come, sit with me."

Leo looked at her and wondered what she was about to tell him. Nothing she could say would have changed his mind about going back to earth to protect his family. Celeste sat across from him and looked deep into his eyes as if searching for something.

"My name is Celeste," she started, "I was 24 years old at the time of my death. I have been a white lighter for about 20 years now, and I recently was honored by the council to take the transfer of Zabdiel when his time came to cross over to Eternity."

Leo nodded. "Zabdiel was a very dear friend to us," he told her, "He greatly helped us through the rough patch we had when our son Wyatt passed."

Celeste's eyes filled with tears once more. "Leo, he wasn't as good of a friend as you thought he was. When the transfer took place, as you know, I received all the wisdom he had obtained from his years as an elder, and from those before him. I also received his memories and they play through my mind as if they were my own."

Leo felt his eyes beginning to twitch. He wanted desperately to run from the room for some reason. He knew that he needed to hear what this beautiful young woman had to say, but he didn't want to.

"Wyatt was not killed on that day, Leo." she told him simply.

"No, you're mistaken," Leo blurted. "My wife, her sisters, and I all watched him die. He faded away, just like my son Chris did--" Leo cut himself off. Chris was right; it must have been Wyatt that summoned Excalibur.

"But, how?" he asked her.

"The Phoenix, Nancy? He gave her the athame that Gideon used on your younger son, Chris. He knew that if he did it himself and got caught, he would suffer the same death as Gideon. He enlisted her help, told her everything she needed to know to befriend you, and together they waited until the time was right. He tricked a changeling into pretending he was the Source, Cole? Anyway, while you were away chasing the changeling he went to the Phoenix and told her not to harm the other children. He took the athame before she could get to Chris."

Leo's mind was racing. Wyatt, still alive? Zabdiel was behind his murder?

"When you brought the child here to us, I mean to him, he did everything he could to kill the save the child because he knew immediately how wrong it was to try to kill an innocent child. He healed him, Leo. But he cast a glamour spell that led the rest of the elders to believe that the poison was working slowly throughout the child's body and led the others to believe nothing could be done. He bound Wyatt's powers, and brought him back to earth."

Leo sat in silence, amazed, listening to the rest of the story.

"He found a shoddy adoption agency that dealt with international customers-"

"You mean the black-market?" Leo interrupted.

"Yes, the black-market. He left him with those people, assuming he would leave California and never be heard from again."

"But his transfer took place before he ever could have imagined!" Leo burst out excitedly. "And now, I can go and find my son!"

Celeste looked sadly at him. "It's not as simple as that. The Avatars found out who and where he was. They have him now and have been training him since he was a toddler that he is to rule the world. Now that Zabdiel is gone, Wyatt's powers will have already been restored."

"And now he has Excalibur." Leo said quietly. "Chris did all that work for nothing, because he's still evil!"

"He must be stopped, Leo. There is still time to save both him, and the world, but you must act quickly."

"Thank you, Celeste." Leo said as he orbed home to tell his family what he had just heard.

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

Chris finally caught up with Bianca outside the police station.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her suspiciously. He hoped she hadn't come to try to expose him.

"I work here," she replied tartly, "What are you doing here?"

"Work here?" he asked.

"You have truly lost your mind haven't you?" she said.

"Look," he said in a pleading voice, "I had to find you so that I could explain. I know that scared you and I have no right to ask you this, but my life may be in danger and I need your help!"

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, half shocked. "That voodoo hocus pocus stuff creeps me out. You just stay away from me, understand?"

She turned to go inside the station, but Chris grabbed her arm. She dropped the manila envelope that contained the enlargements she had done earlier in the morning and they scattered everywhere.

"See what you made me do?" she raged as she bent to catch the photos before they blew everywhere.

"Sorry," he said apologetically, "Here, let me help."

"Chris, no don't--" but she spoke too late.

Chris stood staring at the picture he had just picked up. A young man was laid on the cement, his chest opened wide. He had dark hair, a medium build, and stood about six feet tall. The man could have been mistaken for one of his relatives at a glance.

"Phoenixes," he said quietly as he studied the picture.

"You know who did this?" she asked as she snatched the picture from his hand.

"I have a pretty good idea," he responded mysteriously.

"You need to come inside and make a statement." she demanded.

"Why?" he asked her incredulously.

"Because this is the 5th murder of its kind in less than a year. They all have the same M.O. Early 20's, dark hair, green eyes, medium build, good looking, and involved in the occult in some way, shape, or form. If you have any information pertaining to the wack job that has been doing this, you need to come and give us a heads up."

"I can't do that. This is what I'm talking about, Bianca. Look at the M.O., dark hair, green eyes, and early 20s. I think they may be after me."

Bianca caught her breath. These murders had been taking place for about a year, about the same amount of time she had been dating Chris. Had he been into some sort of weird occult thing that she never caught onto? It didn't matter now, Lacey had been praying for a break for months now and this could be it. She laid her hand on his arm and looked deeply into his sparkling green eyes.

"What have you gotten yourself into?" she asked him softly. "Come inside and make a statement, Chris. We will do everything we can to protect you from these, Phoenixes did you say? Some sort of cult I'm assuming, right?"

"Bianca!" he said clutching her arm, "The police can't help me against these people. You are the only one that can help me."

Bianca looked at him sadly. The love of her life had obviously lost his mind.

"I will help you," she told him. "But I can't do it alone. The police will protect you, they will set you up in a-"

"Your birth family is doing this, Bianca. They're looking for me to get even with my family."

She stopped short and stared at him. They had never discussed the fact that she was adopted. She had fleeting memories of her birth mother, but not enough to make her want to research her roots. The family that she was placed with was so kind and loving that she never looked back. As far as she was concerned, she had no other family so it never crossed her mind to tell Chris that she was adopted.

"How did you know I was adopted?" she asked him.

"I know a lot of things, Bianca. Just come with me, I'll explain everything to you. I haven't lost my mind and I'm not into the occult. Just come talk to me."

She nodded in agreement and he orbed her away.

"Okay," Bianca said as she stood staring out at the lake, "First off, what was that?"

Chris laughed. "Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting you don't know anything about that. That was called orbing. I can go anywhere I want, and bring whoever I want with me, in the blink of an eye. I'm half white lighter, or angel."

"Chris, I really think you need professional help." she told him.

"Do I? You just experienced it yourself." he said to her, raising an eyebrow.

"You got me there," she told him. "Now, what do you mean you keep forgetting that I don't know anything about this? You sprung this on me two minutes ago."

Chris led her to a park bench. Several ducks quacked their disapproval as they neared, but they waddled off into the lake throwing them one last look of distaste.

"Sit down," he told her, "This is going to take a minute."

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

"He's alive?" Piper asked.

Leo sat in front of his wife, leaning forward holding both of her hands. The smile on his face shone from ear to ear. He felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Paige and Phoebe stood behind the couch that Piper was sitting on, absently squeezing each others hands. Valerie stood next to her mother, looking from her to Piper in utter confusion.

"So this Zabdiel person," Valerie started, "decided he wanted to kill your son, Wyatt. He helped the bird lady to do it 20 years ago and you've assumed he was dead ever since? Now, you find out he's alive again and he's fallen into some sort of Order bent on world dominance?"

Piper looked up at her niece. She had a way of paraphrasing anything to sound bad.

"Yes," Leo told her, "But Celeste said that there is still time to save him." He turned again to Piper, his smile still gleaming, "He's alive, Honey. He's still got a chance!"

Piper started to cry for the first time in 20 years, but this time they were tears of joy. She leaned forward and kissed Leo gently on the lips.

"Um..." Valerie said. "I hate to break this up... actually no I don't cause watching my aunt and uncle make out is just wrong, but shouldn't we work on finding him?"

Phoebe hit her daughter on the arm.

"Valerie I swear! I don't know how you got to be such a twit sometimes."

"Mom!" she exclaimed rubbing her arm.

Piper laughed and wiped the tears from her cheek.

"No, she's right." she said sniffling. "I suppose it would be a good idea to find him, we're running short on time."

"Oh," Paige said grinning, "I thought you meant the making out part."

"That too," Leo said laughing.

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

"So, my birth mother killed your older brother and tried to kill you? And then your mother and aunts killed her? Then Paige sent me to an adoption agency, and you hunted me down a year ago?" Bianca asked Chris.

"Hunted you down?" he asked her confused.

"Yeah, it's mighty convenient that you should happen to bump into me after all those years. What? You knew that these Phoenix people would come after you eventually and wanted to use me as a shield? Oh no look, I'm in love with one of your kind don't hurt me?" she asked coldly.

"No! It's not like that! After Wyatt died, they didn't tell him anything about magic." he told her.

"Him?" she asked.

"Me. I meant me. I'm not the Chris that you know. I came from the past to save the world, that's a whole other story in itself. We can get into all that later."

"Yeah," Bianca said, rubbing her temples. "Okay, I believe you, but what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know." he replied helplessly. "I just don't know. But given the pictures and the amount of time they've been killing people that look similar to me, I'll have to figure it out quick." He reached out and stroked her cheek softly, "But I swear to you, I will keep you safe. I won't lose you again."

"Again?" she asked.

Chris didn't get a chance to answer. A little girl ran past them squealing, her mother in tow with a water gun.

"I'm going to get you!" the mother hollered.

"Nuh-uh!" the littler girl shrieked as she ran past the park bench.

The mother took aim and squirted water in the little girl's direction. Chris and Bianca jumped as the cold water splashed in their faces.

"Oh, God!" the mother said, "I'm so sorry! I didn't even notice you!"

"Oh it's alright," Bianca said.

Chris smiled at her. Even in two different worlds their love had still managed to survive. He didn't want to think about what would happen when everything got sorted out and the rightful Chris returned to this plain.

"Here," the mother said pulling a napkin out of her pocket, "It's clean. Let me get that off your face."

She reached out to wipe a drop off Bianca's cheek.

"Oh look!" Bianca exclaimed patting Chris on the arm. "Doesn't that birthmark look familiar?"

Chris looked to see what she was talking about. On the woman's arm was a dark spot that resembled a phoenix, exactly matching Bianca's.

"Bee! We've gotta get out of here! It's them!" he said grabbing her arm.

"Who?" she asked, panic threatening to take over. She already knew the answer to her own question.

"This is great!" the woman said smiling, "We've only been hunting the boy, but we got you both in one shot!"

Chris tried to orb but he couldn't.

"Oh," the woman told him, "I guess I forgot to mention. That wasn't water-that was a potion. Your powers are temporarily out of service."

Chris sat on the bench staring at her. "Temporarily?"

"Oh yes, I couldn't risk stripping you in public now could I? But no worries, you won't have to worry about it much longer because you'll be dead."

Several other women appeared, surrounding the bench. Bianca looked at Chris and read the terror in his eyes. She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Gregory shimmered back into the apartment he shared with his cousin, Jay. He looked around at his humble surroundings. A beat up sofa was against the wall, a hand me down recliner sat across from it separated by an old wooden coffee table. Posters hung on the wall of various rock bands, AC/DC, Metallica, and the Doors. The one plant that Jay insisted on putting in the house was dying and wilted in the corner by the 14 inch TV they managed to buy at a yard sale.

When Gregory decided to continue with the band, his father cut him off financially. Not much longer, and I will dwell with riches at my fingertips he thought to himself.

"JAY!" he hollered.

Jay came out of his bedroom in a pair of sweat pants, his short sandy hair disheveled from sleep.

"Dude, were you sleeping?" Gregory asked.

"Well, yeah." Jay answered heading into the kitchen. "What's up?"

"What do you think is up?" he asked him crossly.

"I have no idea."

"Let me give you a hint. We were singing this morning, a sword magically appeared, and I went to talk to my father. What do you think is up?"

"That my song is bound to be a #1 hit and your dad is going to finance the record?" Jay asked sarcastically.

Gregory looked at him. Why did his cousin have to be like this? Jealousy he assumed. The Lesworths were poorer than his family and eventually ended up disowning him. His father took Jay in when he was about five years old and began his tutoring. They finally gave up on him when he was about 15 and still hadn't come into his powers. Jay gave up also, devoting all of his time to writing poetry which annoyed Gregory's father to no end.

"Father has a plan to draw the witches to us." Gregory said.

"Remind me again why we want to draw the three most powerful witches in the world to us and pick a fight?" Jay said as he walked into the living room. He popped open his soda and plopped down on the couch.

Gregory sighed. "We won't be in any danger, Jay. We've got Excalibur."

"No," Jay snapped, "You have Excalibur. You won't even let me touch it."

"That's because it's mine!" Gregory nearly shouted.

Then lowering his tone he said, "Jay, you never came into any active powers. If you touch this sword there is no telling what it could do to you. Even I, when I hold it, feel it. It's like it has a soul of its own trying to possess my body."

Jay took a swig of his soda and looked at his cousin through slanted eyes.

"Well, you have your sword. You obviously won't be interested in the band anymore. So, what exactly did you wake me up for? Unless you're telling me that P3 wants an encore, I'm not too sure I'm interested."

Gregory looked at Jay not trying to hide his confusion. Surely his cousin didn't understand how big this was. Power! All the power that a person could obtain and more was within his reach. How could Jay not be excited for him?

"I can't summon them by myself," he told him. "I'll need your help."

"Fine," Jay told him standing up and stretching. "I'll help you to summon them, but how am I supposed to do that? I don't have any powers remember?"

"You have powers, Jay!" Gregory snapped. "You're an Avatar, second Generation remember? Just because you never cared enough to practice to develop them doesn't mean they're not there."

Jay sighed. Nobody understood him. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll do it, and then I'm gone."

Gregory nodded, better to have him gone. Wouldn't want him getting hurt now would we? Poor, defenseless, worthless, pitiful Jay. He would deal with him when the witches were taken care of. He was tired of the monkey on his back, the one named Jay.

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_

Phoebe pulled out maps of the entire Bay Area, and then changing her mind, pulled out the world atlas. She managed to dig the scrying crystal out of the attic with minimal trouble. She laid a picture of Wyatt's funeral on her lap and held the crystal above the atlas.

"What are you doing, Mom?" Valerie asked.

"Trying to find Wyatt by scrying." Phoebe replied. She mentally cussed herself for cutting her daughter off from the magical world. Valerie was going to be thrown into this so late in life without proper training, just like she and her sisters were.

"You see, by taking something personal of the person, or thing, the scrying crystal will spin around the map looking. When it finds it, it will stop and fall on the area that person is at." she explained.

"Well, why are you using a picture?" Valerie asked.

"Because it's the only thing we have left," Phoebe replied sadly.

In the kitchen, Piper and Paige were having it out. Leo, standing in the middle was trying to keep the peace.

"Girls!" he exclaimed, "You two have to work this out or we'll never find him!"

"Leo," Piper warned, "Stay out of this!"

"It's not like I'm planning to use it," Paige tried to explain to Piper.

"Then why do you want to make it?" Piper asked.

"Just in case!" Paige replied.

Unable to focus on scrying throughout all the hollering, Phoebe walked in.

"What's going on?" she asked nervously.

"Your sister wants to make a vanquishing potion for my son!" Piper told her.

"What!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"It's not a vanquishing potion," Paige sighed. "It's a power stripping potion!"

"Okay, why?" Phoebe asked.

"Because she doesn't trust him," Piper answered.

"Because," Paige said, ignoring Piper, "he's been raised with Avatars. Because he has Excalibur. Because he is very well the most powerful witch around. Because, I want us to be safe just in case we don't get there in time to save him from becoming evil."

"I have to admit," Leo said, "it does make sense. It would be good to have, just so long as it's just a power stripping potion and not a vanquishing potion."

Piper sighed. "Fine. But it better not hurt him."

Paige hugged her sister. "I would never hurt him, Piper. You know that."

Piper nodded. She knew that nobody wanted to hurt Wyatt. She knew that he was now a grown man, 24 years old, but she couldn't stop thinking of him as a baby.

"Valerie!" Paige hollered. "Come in here, let Auntie Paige teach you how to make a potion!"

_**Chapter Twenty-Two**_

Gregory sat on the couch admiring Excalibur. He held it up and watched the light reflect off the blade. The rubies sparkled brightly as the light caught them. He ached to forge battle with the witches.

"Jay!" Gregory called into the next room.

"What?"

"I'm going to talk to my dad. Hold down the fort."

"Whatever."

Gregory shimmered into his fathers chambers. A group of men looked up, surprised to see the uninvited youngster appear.

"Greetings," Gregory grinned, not bothering to bow.

"Gregory, bow before your superiors!" his father demanded.

Gregory nodded his head as a gesture.

"The time has come. I have Excalibur, the witches must die tonight." he told the men in the room.

"The time is nearing, Young One, but it is not now. You have much to learn before you take on the Charmed Ones." one of the men told him. "That is what we were just discussing before you so rudely interrupted our meeting."

"Excalibur appeared to me," he protested. "How could the time be anytime but now?"

"Excalibur did not appear to you," the man said, "You summoned it. If you battle the witches now, you will lose."

"It would not have appeared to me if I wasn't ready! What does it matter if I summoned it or pulled it from the stone? Excalibur was meant for me and me alone. I hold the power in my hands!" Gregory held the majestic sword up for all to see.

"Any fool can hold a pen," his father spat. "But that does not mean he knows how to write!"

"I am tired of you under estimating me, Old Man!" Gregory shot back.

"Gregory!" his father exclaimed. "Don't you dare speak to me that way! Remember your place!"

"My place is on the throne. Excalibur proves that. I shall sit upon my throne and the world will worship me, just as they did Arthur!"

"Arthur was a child king also, Young One," a white haired balding man said from the back of the room. He stepped forward to face Gregory. "And he was defeated in the end, reduced to a mere fairy tale."

"I am not a child, and I will not be reduced to a fairy tale. I will be a legend!" he replied.

"Remember your place amongst your superiors," his father warned.

"You remember your place, Father. I no longer need your approval. I will defeat the Charmed Ones and achieve my success without your help."

With that Gregory shimmered home to his dingy little apartment.

"Jay, I need your help." he said to his cousin. "Find an abandoned warehouse near the docks. Set up the stones and ready the force field. I'll sense where you are, I am going to kidnap one of the Charmed Ones and bring her there. I will draw them into our trap and defeat them."

Jay watched his cousin pace back and forth across the small living room. His blue eyes were clouded with rage and his hands flew mercilessly around as he explained his plan.

"Greg, why do you want to kill them? If you joined forces with them you could be unstoppable." he told him.

"I AM unstoppable, I have Excalibur. I won't share my wealth and power with the witches!" Gregory replied.

"They've done so much good though Gregory. I just don't see how they could be the power hungry witches that they tell us they are." Jay pleaded.

Gregory moved as quickly as sound. Suddenly Jay felt the cold bite of steel against his neck. Gregory inched the point of Excalibur up Jay's neck toward his jugular.

"Either you do what I tell you, or I do it myself." he told him. "Either way, it'll be done, except you'll be dead if I have to do it myself."

"Okay, Greg, Okay." Jay said nervously, instinctively looking down trying to see the point of the blade.

"That's what I thought, dear cousin. What would I ever do without you?" Gregory taunted as Jay grabbed the car keys and headed out the door. Gregory stood in the abandoned warehouse with his cousin looking around at his surroundings. The windows were boarded, and only the door that Jay had pried open was available. Jay had set the stones that would form a force field up in the center of the room. Gregory would activate them when the witches came for them, and they would erupt into a wall of energy that would feed off their powers, separating the witches from their magic, and from him.

"You know," Jay told his cousin, "They'll figure out it's a trap when you set the force field. The youngest one can orb."

Gregory cursed himself. He was in such a rage he hadn't thought about the youngest witch's powers.

Jay smiled at his cousin. "What are you smiling about? Do you want me to fail?" he asked, raising Excalibur once again to his cousin's throat.

"Come on Greg," Jay told him laughing. "If I wanted you to fail, would I have cast an anti orb charm on the building? They can orb in, but not out."

"You used magic?" Gregory asked, confusion riddling his voice.

"Greg, when my parents kicked me to the curb, you and your dad were the only ones there for me. These are very powerful witches, I don't want you to get hurt or killed."

Gregory smiled. Jay was always thinking. That was his biggest downfall, he thought too much which resulted in the block of his active powers. As children, during their tutoring, spells and charms always came easily to Jay. When the time came for advanced magic though, Jay would concentrate too hard and was never able to master anything. Gregory's father charged him with Jay when they were about 13. Gregory resented this, because he felt that Jay was to be his babysitter instead of the other way around. This time, though, Jays over active brain was beneficial.

"So, whets the plan?" Jay asked Gregory.

"I will go and kidnap one of the Charmed Ones. I will bring her back here and wait for her sisters to follow. Once they are here, I will activate the force field and trap them behind it. Then, once their power is drained, I'll kill them each one by one with Excalibur."

"Greg," Jay said, "Don't get mad."

Gregory looked at his cousin.

"I kind of figured that was your plan. I went to my father and asked him for advice."

"You WHAT?"

Jay backed up into the wall with his hands up in protest against Gregory advancing toward him.

"Listen to me! His mission was, that when Excalibur appeared, he was to study the witches and find their weakness so that we could defeat them."

Gregory still held the sword pointed toward his cousin. "Go on."

"They have two prodigies. One he helped the Phoenixes to capture, and the other has no active powers yet." he replied.

"Yeah?" Gregory asked, lowering the sword just a little as Jay caught his interest.

"The witches bound her powers when she was an infant. They just restored them this very morning. She had no idea she was a witch until today. She's had no training or tutoring. She will be the easiest to capture, and they will still come after us."

Gregory lowered the sword and let Jay relax.

"No powers yet?" he asked.

"And completely unknowing to everything." Jay answered.

Gregory nodded his approval.

_**Chapter Twenty-Three**_

Chris and Bianca sat on the cold, hard ground of a cave. Their wrists and ankles were bound by duct tape and they sat with their backs facing each other. Seven women were milling about, chatting calmly as they set up a ritual altar.

"I can't believe how easy it was to catch them," one of them said.

"It wasn't that easy. We've been searching for a year." another said.

"Yes, but Jennifer, when we finally found them, capturing them was a piece of cake." the first said.

"We certainly got a lucky break." Jennifer replied to her friend.

Chris observed his surroundings, searching for an escape route.

"Chris?" Bianca said quietly.

"Yeah?" he whispered.

"The tape around your wrists feels loose. I'm going to see if I can grasp it get a hold of it." she said.

"What's all that talk over there?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh let them talk, Jen. It's their last chance to." the friend replied.

"We don't want them getting ideas, Tammy!" Jennifer told her friend.

Tammy walked over to where Chris and Bianca sat, bound on the floor. She reached out and pushed Chris's hair back off of his forehead.

"So good looking," she breathed.

"Almost a waste to kill him, don't you think?" she asked Bianca.

Bianca looked her straight in the eye, "You aren't woman enough to kill us." she replied.

Jennifer laughed, tossing her long blond hair off her shoulder.

"Feisty, aren't you?" she said to Bianca. "You're right, on a normal day one of us wouldn't be woman enough to kill you. But, this isn't a normal day. Your powers are useless, and it's 7 against 2." she turned to Tammy, "Prep the girl. She'll go first."

"Oh," Tammy said, "Good, it'll give me more time with this one."

Tammy pulled Chris and Bianca to their feet. She pulled the tape from their wrists and ankles and led them to the center of the circle. She ripped Bianca shirt down the center, exposing her bare chest. Bianca gasped and grabbed her torn shirt, pulling it together to cover herself.

"Modest little witch, aren't you?" Jennifer laughed.

Chris watched in horror as they led Bianca to the cave wall where they chained her hands and feet.

"You get to watch your cousin die," Tammy whispered in his ear. "How exciting!" she said as she nibbled on his neck.

Chris was shocked. They thought Bianca was Valerie? He pulled away from Tammy, but two other women appeared and grabbed him. They were uncharacteristically strong. He tried to pull away to get to Bianca.

"No!" he cried. "You don't understand! Don't hurt her! You don't want to hurt her! You're wrong! She's not who you think she is!"

"Shut up!" Jennifer told him. She turned to Tammy, "Gag him!"

Chris fought off the women as best he could. He squirmed and kicked with all his might.

"Stop!" he cried. "Before you make a mistake. You'll regret it with all your soul!"

Jennifer approached him and leaned down to meet his face with hers.

"Silence!" she demanded. "Don't threaten me, you're in no place to do so."

"Witch isn't the word for you, is it?" he asked, and then spit in her face.

"You insolent fool!" she cried as she wiped the spit out of her eye. "Him first, then the girl."

They unchained Bianca and held her tight as they chained Chris to the wall. Bianca didn't try to struggle. She hoped that if she kept a cool head, she would figure something out.

Jennifer looked Chris up and down. "We've saved a special sort of killing for you. Family is everything to us, and when your family took our Nancy, it was as if you ripped out our hearts." she told him.

"The stars," Bianca said out loud.

"That's right, the stars." Tammy told her.

"You see," Jennifer started as she started lighting the candles that lay out, "The seven point star represents a gateway to another realm. Each point on the star represents a pathway, or the seven rays of manifestation of the higher self. We use this only when a great justice must be served."

"Why?" Bianca asked. Seeing the murder after it was done intrigued her for sure, but the reasoning behind it fascinated her. She felt as if she should know this for some reason.

"Well," Jennifer started, "the first point is will and determination--we've been looking for you for a long time. The second point is unconditional love-- which we had for Nancy and her daughter. The third point is knowledge and intelligence-- you must have these for this to work, and obviously you've managed to evade us for so long so you do. The fourth is harmony and tranquility-- which we will achieve once you two are dead." she paused a moment to stare at Bianca.

"No," Chris said, "You're wrong!"

"This brings me to the fifth point-- powers of the mind. Don't insult my intelligence boy! The sixth is devotion--- all the devotion we've spent searching for you. And the seventh is the all encompassing magic that will ultimately take your lives."

Jennifer stood in center of the cave next to the altar. Her blue eyes grew misty as if clouds had rolled in. Her blonde hair fell loosely down her back flowing past her waist. She looked to the skies and raised her arms upward. The sound of wings flapping filled their ears. A red light shone down from the cave ceiling and was absorbed into her fingertips.

When she looked up again, her eyes were red. "It is time." she said, her voice cold and distant. She turned to face Chris, chained to the wall. Her hands glowed as she raised them to him.

Bianca felt as if a surge of electricity shot through her body. Everything seemed to slow down. She stared at Chris's restraints, wishing that they would break free. She met his eyes and he seemed to mouth 'I love you' to her. Chris's chains shattered, making a loud popping noise.

"They're powers are back!" Tammy shrieked.

"No matter," Jennifer said, "I've invoked the power of our ancestors."

Jennifer turned again to Chris, just realizing that he was once again free. A red light radiated from her hands and shot toward his chest. Chris could feel the heat nearing his chest and he tried to take one last look at Bianca before he died.

"NO!" Bianca shouted as she ran in front of him. The light was blinding and she threw her arms up to block it from her eyes. The red light caught Bianca's bare chest instead of Chris's. She fell to the ground in a heap.

Tammy's eyes were wide. "She bears the mark of the Phoenix!" she exclaimed looking at Bianca's birthmark.

"Fool!" she shouted at Jennifer. "What have you done? The 7 Point cannot be used on one of our own!"

Jennifer's eyes were blue once more. She looked from Tammy to Bianca. "We've got to get out of here, before the others come." she said quickly, and they disappeared.

"Oh, God, no!" Chris exclaimed dropping to his knees in front of Bianca. He took her limp body into his arms. She looked at him, the light in her eyes fading.

"I guess I won't be able to give Lacey his lucky break," she told him.

"Shhh.. don't talk like that. You're going to be fine." he told her, tears rushing to his face.

He looked up, "DAD!" he called. "DAD! Help!"

"I love you, Chris." Bianca whispered. "More than anything in the world, I'm sorry."

"I love you too. Don't apologize. You'll be okay." he told her trying to contain his tears. He reached down and stroked her cheek, trying hard not to look at her chest where hollow cavity shaped as a 7 pointed star exposed her slow beating heart. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

"Marry me?" he asked her through his tears.

"I'll always be yours." she answered.

"DAD!" he cried again.

_**Chapter Twenty-Four**_

"What is taking so long?" Piper asked Phoebe.

Phoebe looked up at her sister. "I don't know!"

"Why don't you try to get a premonition, and let Piper scry? We don't have anything personal of Wyatt's anymore, perhaps as his mother she'll have better luck." Leo suggested.

"It's worth a shot," Phoebe agreed, handing the crystal over to Piper.

Piper sat down and absently pushed the hair out of her face. The crystal swung in wide circles across the maps that Phoebe had laid out. Phoebe sat cross legged on the floor and closed her eyes as she tried to force a vision of her nephew.

In the kitchen Paige and Valerie were just finishing the stripping potion. Paige smiled at her niece as she threw in the final pinch of faery wing dust into the pot. A snapping sound, followed by a poof of smoke made the younger witch jump and giggle nervously.

"That's it," Paige told her. "Not so bad, was it?"

"No," Valerie answered, still giggling. "Not bad at all."

"You're a quick study," Paige told her. She turned automatically to the cupboard where they used to keep the potion vials.

"Darn it!" Paige said, frustrated.

"What's wrong?" Valerie asked.

"Well," Paige said, looking desperately around the kitchen, "What are we going to put this in?"

"I saw a half empty jar of olives in the fridge, we could dump that out and use it," Valerie offered.

Paige nodded, it would have to do. Valerie grabbed the jar and emptied its contents down the garbage disposal and washed the jar free of olive juice. She turned shook out the remaining water and turned around to face Paige, already waiting with a turkey baster full of potion. Paige had no sooner tightened the lid and set the jar down on the counter when Valerie screamed.

"Aunt Paige! Look out, behind you!"

Paige spun around to see a man standing right behind her. He was tall, about six foot four, with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a tight black T-shirt that hugged his defined chest, blue jeans, and in his hand he held Excalibur. Paige stood staring at him in shock.

"Wyatt?" she whispered.

Gregory pushed Paige aside and she hit her head on the counter on her way down. He grabbed Valerie by the arm and sneered down at Paige.

"You gotta be quicker than that, Aunt Paige." he mocked.

"VALERIE!" Paige screamed, but they were gone.

Phoebe, Piper, and Leo rushed into the kitchen. Leo knelt at Paige's side and healed her bleeding temple.

"Whereas Valerie?" Phoebe asked in a panic.

"What happened?" Piper asked at the same time.

"Wyatt was here." Paige answered. "He took her."

"Wyatt was here?" Piper asked. "But I was just scrying for him and-"

"He had Excalibur, he looked just as Chris described long blond hair and cold blue eyes. He knows who we are, he called me 'Aunt Paige', but--" Paige stopped herself, not wanting to hurt Piper or Leo.

"But what?" Leo asked.

"But I don't think he remembers us. His voice was full of hatred."

Piper gasped and covered her face, tears welling up once again.

"We have to go after Valerie!" Phoebe said.

Leo doubled over grasping his heart and falling to his knees. Piper and Phoebe rushed to him as Paige got to her feet.

"Ooooh!" Leo said, looking up and meeting Piper's gaze.

"Is it Valerie?" Phoebe asked not trying to hide her panic.

"No," Leo said, "It's Chris. He needs me."

"Go," Paige said. "We'll go get Valerie."

"And Wyatt," Piper added.

Leo nodded and orbed away.

_**Chapter Twenty-Five**_

Paige grabbed the potion and put it in her pocket. She handed Phoebe and Piper a piece of paper. Piper glanced down at it.

"What's this?" she asked.

"A power of three spell. It was Valerie's idea. She thought that if we could get him to remember how much we loved him, we wouldn't have to use the potion."

Phoebe nodded and stuck the paper in her pocket. After a quick scry for Valerie, the sisters orbed away to the warehouse to save Phoebe's only child and Pipers oldest. Valerie shook her arm free of Gregory's grasp and wiped it as if something vile had violated her person. Her big brown eyes searched frantically for a means for escape but to her dismay she had none. The man that grabbed her stood to her left leering down at her, and another stood near the only door she could see.

"Who are you?" she asked defiantly.

"I am the king, bow to me witch!" Gregory retorted.

"I bow to no one!" she snapped.

Gregory grabbed hold of the back of her neck and forced her to the ground. She tried to resist, but tears of pain and defeat welled up in her eyes as she finally fell to her knees.

"Don't hurt her!" Jay exclaimed as he rushed forward to the girl's defense.

"Why not?" Gregory asked.

"Because," Jay said, "She is the daughter of a Charmed One."

"All the more reason to kill her." Gregory retorted drawing up Excalibur.

"Gregory!" Jay exclaimed, exasperated. "She is the daughter of a Charmed One. You are an Avatar, Second Generation, and you also hold Excalibur in your hands which makes you king. Together, you will produce a powerful heir to succeed you and to carry on your legend."

Gregory nodded. Perhaps his cousin wasn't as useless as all believed. Perhaps he was not destined for active powers, but for the power of intelligence and foresight. He wouldn't do away with him after all. Gregory smiled at his cousin.

"You've been very helpful throughout all this." Gregory told Jay. "You will be rewarded with a seat of power."

"I don't want power, Greg." Jay told him as he knelt down to look Valerie in the eye.

"What do you want then? Ask for it, and it is yours."

"I want her." Jay answered. "Not for good, but I want her until the marriage takes place. I will be careful not to produce an heir of my own in the meantime."

"Don't touch me you pig!" Valerie shouted at Jay.

"Take her and tame her then." Gregory told Jay as he leaned down and picked Valerie up to her feet. He pushed her into Jay's arms, and Jay wrapped his arms tight around her waist.

"Get OFF me!" she said beating his chest with her hands. "What are you sick people anyway?"

"We are Avatars, Second Generation. The most powerful magical beings in the world save for the Charmed Ones. That is why we must destroy them." Gregory told her calmly.

"You're evil!" she spat at him.

"We're not evil," Jay told her softly.

"Well you're not good!" she exclaimed.

"We're not good or evil. We're just powerful. You see, dear wife, we don't care about the forces of good or evil because they don't matter. All that matters is power, and I will have it, all of it. I hold Excalibur." Gregory told her.

"Get her to safety!" he shouted at Jay. "The Charmed Ones!" he pointed at the ray of glistening white lights that were materializing in the room. Jay pulled Valerie to the opposite side of the room and held her tight.

"Calm down," he told her.

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_

Leo orbed just outside of the cave. He stood looking around, wondering where his son had called him from.

"DAD!" Chris's anguished cry echoed from within the cave.

Leo ran inside the mouth of the cave. He stood staring at two deep caverns that faced him. This must be protected space, Leo thought to himself, because I can't orb.

"Chris! I'm here! Where are you?" he called.

"Dad, help! Back here!" Chris cried.

Leo ran down the far cavern searching for his son. It was so dark that he couldn't see in front of him, but his instinct told him he was getting close.

"Keep calling for me, Son. I'm almost there!"

Chris didn't respond, but Leo could hear his sobs in the distance. A dim, flickering light came into Leo's view. He picked up his speed and ran to it. The cavern opened into a wide area in the heart of the cave. Near the cave wall he saw Chris on his knees with Bianca in his arms.

Chris looked up at him with his face stained with tears.

"Dad, help her." he pleaded.

Leo rushed to Bianca and dropped to his knees. He looked at her beautiful oval shaped face. Her once olive complexion was pure white and her dark eyebrows seemed as if they had been painted on. Her rosy cheeks were pale and her lips had turned a sickly grayish color. Her exposed heart was barely beating and her breaths were short. Leo laid his hands over her chest and it a faint glow came from his fingers. Bianca opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Leo," she said quietly, "Take care of him."

Bianca closed her eyes and the glowing radiating from Leo's fingertips ceased. His bowed his head and reached out to wrap his arm around Chris's shoulder.

Chris collapsed into grief stricken sobs. He pulled Bianca's lifeless body close to him and held her tight. Pushing her hair back off of her face he kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks and finally her lips. He looked at Leo but didn't really seem to see him.

"I promised," he told him.

Leo grabbed his son and held him tight, rocking him gently as the tears subsided. Chris couldn't move, he felt as if his veins had been filled with cement. He sat on the floor of the cave with Bianca in his arms refusing to move. Leo's eyes were wet with tears and he kissed his son on the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, Son." he told Chris. "I'm so sorry I couldn't get here in time."

"The Phoenixes." Chris told him. "The Phoenixes did this, and I will make them pay."

"Chris," a womans voice said. Chris and Leo jumped and looked around to see who else was in the cave with them.

Bianca hovered in front of the father and son, looking serenely down at both of them. She was wearing a long, flowing, white gauzy gown. Her long, full black hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders. Her lips were once again a rosy red and her eyes had the same sparkle to them. A golden light surrounded her celestial being and she reached her hand out to Chris as she spoke.

"I am always yours." she told him. "Do not mourn for me now, I will always be with you. Your family needs your help, Chris. You and Leo go now, leave my body here. Go help your family and remember I will never be far from you."

By this time Bianca's spirit had come down and was in front of Chris's face. She leaned down and gently placed her lips to his.

"I'll always be yours." she told him once more before she vanished.

"She's right," Leo told him wiping his eyes, "We have to go."

"Yeah, she is right," Chris said, regaining his composure, "Almost about everything. I won't leave her body here in this place. They might come back and try to take her."

Leo nodded. "Alright."

_**Chapter Twenty-Seven**_

Piper, Phoebe, and Paige orbed into the warehouse just outside the perimeter of the force field Gregory had Jay set up. He knew he had to back them into it.

"Welcome to my kingdom," he said throwing his arms wide open.

Piper laid her eyes on her son for the first time in 20 years. He had grown into a man, no longer the 4 year old child she once held in her arms and sang to sleep at night.

"Aunt Paige," he sneered, "Nice to see you again."

Gregory grasped the hilt of Excalibur with both hands and pointed it toward the sisters.

"MOM! It's a trap!" Valerie shouted from across the room. Jay grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back.

"Just shut up would you?" he said into her ear.

"Wyatt," Piper said, "Listen to me. You don't want to hurt us, we love you."

"My name is Gregory. How can you love me? You didn't even know I existed until I came for my wife!" He pointed in Valerie's direction.

"Gross," Paige muttered.

"Wyatt, I mean Gregory, listen to us." Phoebe said her hands up and facing toward him as if to block the sword. "You're right, we didn't know but that's not our fault. We've come to take you home, to your family that loves you!"

"I don't need family! I am KING!" he raged as he advanced toward them, sword drawn.

The sisters scattered.

"He's insane!" Phoebe yelled drawing Gregory's attention to her. He swung the mighty sword at her head but she ducked out of the way just in time.

"Wyatt! Stop!" Piper pleaded.

Gregory ignored her and advanced on Phoebe once more. She dropped to the ground, swung her leg out, and tripped him. Gregory caught his balance and once again swung the sword at Phoebe. She shot up into the air, barely avoiding the deadly blow that would have taken her life.

Paige looked desperately around the warehouse for something to help her older sister. In the corner, opposite of Valerie and Jay, there was a pile of unused lumber.

"Two by four," she commanded.

"Phoebe, catch!" she called.

Phoebe reached out and grabbed the wood, managed to block Gregory's next blow with it, but it was chopped clean in half. Phoebe swung one of the pieces, hitting the hand in which he held Excalibur forcing him to drop it. She then kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking him across the room.

"I thought you said they couldn't orb," he shouted over his shoulder to Jay.

"I said they couldn't orb out!"

Gregory reached for Excalibur but Paige kicked it away across the room.

"You'll pay for that witch!" Gregory shouted, conjuring an energy ball and throwing it at her.

"Hey!" Piper yelled, blowing the energy ball up before it could get to her youngest sister. "That wasn't nice!" she said.

Phoebe had managed to get to where Excalibur had landed after Paige kicked it. She reached down for it, but it shot across the room back into Gregory's hands.

"Paige! A little help here!" Phoebe shouted as Gregory once again advanced on her.

"Rhubarb!" Paige commanded, throwing it over to Phoebe.

"Rhubarb?" Piper exclaimed.

"Well it's stronger than a two by four!"

Phoebe was holding her own blocking the blows from the sword with her thin piece of steel but she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. Gregory was in a rage.

"Get Valerie!" she yelled at Paige and Piper.

Jay held Valerie closer and looked at the two sisters. He held her by the hair and something glimmered in his hand. He shook his head.

"She won't come into any harm as long as you stay back." he told them.

Phoebe managed to levitate high enough to kick Gregory in the head. He stumbled back once more and tried to gain his balance. At that moment Chris and Leo orbed in at the back of the room.

"Wyatt?" Chris asked.

Phoebe ran over to Paige and Piper. "The spell, hurry." she said breathlessly.

They pulled the little pieces of paper out of their pockets:

"We call upon the power of three

To open his heart so he can see

Unlock his mind and set it free

Allow him to retrieve his lost memories"

Chris had jumped in front of Gregory as he tried to advance on the sisters as they said their spell. Gregory was in a rage and raised the sword high above his head intending to split Chris in half with one blow. Chris quickly grabbed his wrist and twisted it around to the right. Gregory yelled in pain and pulled free from Chris's grasp. He pushed Chris to the side and once more went after Phoebe.

"Why is he picking on me?" she asked as she backed up.

"I have no idea," Piper answered, backing slowly up with Phoebe.

"Mom!" Valerie shrieked. Jay had taken her by the wrist and tried to run out the door with her.

Gregory had managed to back the sisters, Leo and Chris behind the stone force field. He swung his hand and a wall of energy erupted in front of them. Piper tried to blow it up, but it wouldn't budge.

"What are you doing?" Gregory demanded at Jay.

"Trying to get your bride out of here, to safety," Jay responded nervously.

"Good thinking," Gregory said. "But come here now. I have them all contained, once their power is drained which one should I kill first?"

Jay walked slowly in front of the energy wall, studying the Haliwell family closer. His eyes landed on Piper and lingered there for a moment. Gregory stood next to him leaning on Excalibur lazily as if it were a walking stick.

"I'd say... THIS ONE" Jay shouted as he kicked one of the stones out of the way and pushed Valerie to the other side the of the room. The force field collapsed and the Haliwell family was freed.

"JUDAS! You've betrayed me!" Gregory shouted sinking the sword into Jay's stomach. Jay looked down at the sword that was imbedded in his gut and smiled up at Gregory.

"The Potion!" Piper cried. Paige pulled the potion out of her pocked, quickly unscrewed the lid and threw it at Gregory.

"You are not Christ, and you don't deserve that sword." he told him as Gregory pulled the bloody sword from Jay's body. Jay fell on the ground and Gregory turned back to the family.

Suddenly he dropped Excalibur and stared at his hands. His hands began to bubble and his eyes grew wide with pain. He fell to the ground, facing his cousin.

"No," he told him. "I'm the king. You were supposed to die, not me."

Gregory burst into flames and left only a pile of ashes; Excalibur resting next to it.

"What did you do?" Piper asked Paige.

"It was just supposed to strip his powers... not kill him!" Paige cried.

"WYATT!" Chris screamed.

_**Chapter Twenty-Eight**_

"Is he?" Valerie asked softly as she tried to stand up.

"OW!" she cried, dropping back to her knees and clutching her ankle. Phoebe ran to her.

Leo rushed to Jay, still lying on the ground next to Gregory's ashes. He was bleeding badly but Leo managed to heal him. Jay looked up at Leo and Chris, his eyes wide but he didn't say anything.

"I swear to God, Piper," Paige was saying, "It was just supposed to strip his powers! It wasn't supposed to kill him!"

"You killed my son! I told you that it wasn't a good idea to make that potion! I've lost him again!" Piper cried.

"No you haven't, Mom." an unfamiliar voice said softly.

Chris and Leo were kneeling next to Jay. He was sitting up now, looking at Piper and Paige. Leo was once again smiling from ear to ear. Piper looked deep into Jay's eyes.

"Wyatt?" she asked, her voice trembling. Jay nodded. Piper rushed to Jay, Chris, and Leo. She threw her arms around her oldest son and started to sob.

"I'm so sorry, Wyatt." she cried. "I'm so sorry, please forgive me. We didn't know, we didn't know!"

Wyatt stroked Pipers long black hair soothingly. "Don't apologize. I know, I understand."

_**Chapter Twenty-Nine**_

Chris walked slowly down the isle between the pews of the church to Bianca's open casket. She looked as if she were peacefully sleeping in a bed of satin. Her long raven black hair was loose, with a few curls that framed her face. She wore the yellow blouse that had been tucked away in the back of her closet since the day she met Chris. The pale shade brought out her olive complexion and accented her high cheekbones. Chris leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He placed a long stem white rose across her chest.

He started to walk away, paused and turned back around. He reached deep into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He opened it to reveal a small diamond solitaire. Taking the ring out of the box, he slipped it easily on her finger and left the box in the casket. He walked back down the isle and sat next to Wyatt.

"Our hearts are always full of sorrow when a loved one passes," the Priest was saying, "But when we lose someone as young and vibrant as our Bianca, the sorrow is almost unbearable. Bianca was always full of cheer, had a smile for anyone that walked past her path, and her laughter was like music. I've known Bianca since she was a small child. I prayed for many years with her mother and father to bring her into their lives. It was such a joy to watch her grow and blossom into such a beautiful young woman. Though we will miss her greatly into the depths of our souls, take comfort in the fact that now she sits in Heaven with our Lord, Jesus."

Organ music filled the church as Bianca's casket was closed and wheeled down the center of the pews. The procession to the cemetery from the church was uneventful. The Haliwells rode in the limo with Bianca's family. Chris stared out the window at the passing scenery and Bianca's mother clutched his hand for dear life.

Chris found himself once again standing on the grassy hill that he first laid eyes on four days before. Once again, his face was streaked with tears.

"Ashes to ashes..." the priest was saying, but Chris didn't really hear him.

Everyone returned to the manor at about 7pm after the wake. Piper offered Chris some dinner, but he decided to just go to his room. He stripped off his jacket and sat down on his bed, staring at his hands absently.

"Chris."

He looked up. Bianca stood in front of him once more, still wearing the white gown.

"Bianca?" he asked.

"Don't cry for me, my love. You cannot dwell on my passing."

"I can't help it," he said through his tears. He wanted desperately to hold her, but he couldn't move.

"You are meant for so much more. Your grief will interfere with your destiny. I love you, Chris. Carry on with your life, know that we will always be one."

Chris reached for her as she faded away, blowing him one final kiss.

_**Epilogue**_

Two weeks after the funeral Piper sat on a barstool in her club. She wore a white tank top and a burgundy wrap skirt made of Egyptian silk. She waved as Chris as he walked in. He smiled and made his way through the crowd toward her.

"Hey, Mike." he said to the bartender. "Gimme a cold one would ya?"

Chris threw Piper a sideways glance as he took a swig of the cold beer.

"You look amazing." he told her.

"Thank you. I save this skirt for special occasions." she said blushing.

"I know." he told her. "You wore it to my high school graduation, and you looked amazing then too."

Piper looked at him unable, and unwilling to hide her shock. Chris grinned at her.

"That spell you three cast for Wyatt affected me too. The only thing I can think is that the powers that be thought it wise to give me back the memories of that other life, but they restored the wonderful ones of this one too."

Piper smiled and hugged her younger son.

"And now," the MC boomed across the crowd, "Let's give a warm welcome back to Sky Clad!"

Wyatt appeared on the stage once more. A new drummer had been recruited and he had taken over the microphone.

"I'd like to dedicate this set to my mom and my brother, Chris." Wyatt said. The music wasn't as hard core as it had been before as he started his lyrics.

"Sometimes I wonder what I had missed

At times I could feel your tender kiss

Now you're close enough to touch

I want to hold you so much

You lifted my face with your hand

And begged me to understand

Yeah, it killed nearly killed us to be apart

But you never left the confines of my heart

Separate journeys we were destined to take

Who are we to ignore the twists of fate?"

Mike, the bartender and manager leaned over the bar to Piper.

"I told you these guys were good!" he told her grinning.

"I always knew he was good, Mike. Never doubted it for a minute."

73


End file.
